Neighborly Encouragement and the Power of Flowers

Inside: Planting flowers is a delightful pursuit of mine, giving me much joy. Little did I know someone else has been enjoying my flowers, too.

As I was finishing some early morning gardening chores, trying to beat the heat, my neighbor drove by slowly. I put up a hand to wave, and she stopped, rolling down her window. It’s rare that our exchange is more than just a simple hand-waving, so I walked toward the car to see if she needed something. She’d had a rough couple of years dealing with a hip operation and quitting her job. Life had been downright hard for her at times, and I found myself praying for her more often. She’d spent most of a year being homebound but had been venturing out, cane in hand, since the weather turned warmer.

“I see you out here with the flowers, and I had to tell you, they look so nice,” she said. She asked me about caring for them in the extreme heat and noticed Mom’s geraniums by the barn were thriving on little water. Then she told me she was enjoying my flowers, particularly the ones growing around the stump. “I can’t take care of any flowers right now–but I will again.”

She left me with a final word of encouragement. “Keep up the good work.”

Our conversation didn’t last more than five minutes, if that, but I walked back to the house encouraged. I had no idea my flowers were a blessing to someone other than myself, and it made me wonder how often, when we use our gifts and talents in our everyday living, that we might be giving a much-needed lift to someone’s day. The fact that someone appreciated my efforts left me with an all-day smile. Her determination to keep going and someday get back to caring for her own flowers inspired me to face my own struggles.

Simply put, we had encouraged each other.

Do you share the beauty of your flowers (or talents) with others? Tell us about it in the comments.

Related posts:

Return of the Stump Garden

My Adventures Growing Zinnias

Life is Like a Garden

The Best Time of the Day