There I was, a U.S. lay missionary traveling in an SUV full of African nuns on our way home from a long, hot day of mission work in the slums. Suddenly, we came across an armed robber. Might I just add that I have never driven in reverse so fast in all of my life! Even though I was raised in the country of Pennsylvania, where we participated in all sorts of somewhat reckless behaviors with our vehicles, this by far was beyond my wild childhood memories. At this particular moment in time, I was a 40-some year-old woman, finding myself grasping hands with religious Sisters, as the vehicle was suddenly shifted into reverse.

 Mother's Day is observed around the world with most cultures setting aside a day to honor mothers. Some see the carnation as the official flower of Mother's Day, perhaps because Anna Jarvis, when she organized the first official celebration in the United States in 1908, distributed 500 carnations as the flower was her own mom's favorite. Carnations, and their various colors, then have become symbolic of this day here at home. The colors red/pink are used to represent those fortunate enough to have their mother physically with them to celebrate this day. Oppositely, the white carnations represent those mothers who may not be here physically, but are celebrated spiritually.