Mother Teresa said: “Hunger is not only about food, but also the longing for love.”
“Nakedness is not only having no clothes, but also the deprivation of human dignity.”
“Homelessness is not only needing a shelter, but also being rejected and abandoned.”
“Besides poverty and hunger, the greatest problem in the world is loneliness and indifference.”
“Loneliness is also a kind of hunger — the hunger for warm affection.”
In memory of Mother Teresa, who passed away on 5 September 1997, the United Nations designated 5 September each year as the International Day of Charity.
Mother Teresa was influenced by her mother from an early age. She was charitable, all-loving, and a devout Catholic. When she was young, her mother told her: “When you do good deeds, do not force yourself. Let it be as natural as tossing a small stone from the shore into the ocean.” She constantly renewed her thinking, pursued the cause of benevolence without limit, sought places where she was most needed, made good use of her abilities and wisdom, and offered selfless help to people in need of care.
At the age of eighteen, she left her hometown to become a nun. To work in the congregation’s hospital, she finished coursework normally requiring two years in just six months. To teach in India, she first learned English, then spent two years studying Bengali and Hindi.
To fulfill her wish to go among the poor and serve them directly, she kept writing to the Church, requesting permission to leave the convent while retaining her status as a nun. Guided by her faith in love, she lived simply and served the poor all her life. She respected every life, even dying beggars on the street whose bodies were eaten by maggots. One beggar rescued by Mother Teresa said contentedly before passing away: “I have lived like an animal my whole life, yet you let me be treated like an angel before I die.”
“Love has no boundaries.” This is Mother Teresa’s core philosophy, the stance and principle she upheld throughout her life, as well as the guide for us to know and understand her spirit. Mother Teresa insisted that everyone is equal, no matter what faith they hold, or whether they have any faith at all. If you only love your relatives and friends, only love those who share your faith or social class, then your love amounts to very little.
The curled form of autumn ginkgo leaves, the vivid core of Little Luoshen rose, the gentle hue of Shimmer rose, and the soft spike-shaped blooms of pink smartweed all convey a sense of benevolence to me through their imagery. This work is created in memory of Mother Teresa. The extraordinary inspiration of love she brought to the world will keep being passed on.
Main Floral Materials:
Pink Smartweed, Ginkgo Leaves, Purple-leaf Plum, Little Fireworks Chrysanthemum, Shimmer Rose, Little Luoshen Rose, Kangaroo Paw
