After attending funerals, my mother used to say, "Give me my flowers while I live." I came to understand that she meant to treat her with love and kindness and respect while she could hear and see her flowers. The loved ones lying in the caskets could not see all the beautiful floral arrangements stretched across the front of the church or chapel. They could not hear the words of memorial tribute being spoken.

It is truly the way to live--give flowers while they can be seen. So much is said and done after a person passes on. But what really counts is how we enhance their quality of life while they live. We never know how a person's day is really going. So no matter, it doesn't hurt to say a kind word. It may just be the ray of sunshine needed to burst through somebody's gloom.

The pandemic is raging and a lot of people have been isolated. Take this opportunity to pop a note in the mail to tell family and friends what they mean to you. Pick up the phone and give a quick hello call or send a thoughtful text message. Consider that it is a way to give people their flowers while they live.

Evelyn is the founder of PathChoice Ministry and can be reached at www.pathchoicepastoralcounseling.weebly.com.