Flower Power

Today was a good day.  It was my first day of work during the spring season and as a kind gesture the garden store I work at was handing out cut daffodils.  I had the satisfying job, as a cashier of handing out the flowers to customers.  It really made the six-hour shift go by incredibly fast.  It was alarming to see how happy flowers make people. 

Toddlers loved receiving the promotional gift, a quote from one toddler was “When I get home I am going to put this in the ground” (how adorable!).  Another one said “how beautiful” while gleaming at the flower. Though it wasn’t just toddlers who were moved by the flowers, there were young adults, parents and even grandparents whose faces instantly brightened up. One customer even left to grab a jar filled with water from his car to keep his cut flower happy during the ride home.  The majority of those who accepted the daffodil wore a large grin and walked out of the store in a better mood then they came in.

 It got me wondering why receiving a single cut daffodil from a garden store can leave such a positive impact?  Some of the thoughts I had were that receiving flowers brings recognition and the feelings of being cared and loved… I am still unsure what about flowers make people so happy, me included, but I would love to hear any ideas 🙂

The Gift of Giving

Hello and happy Friday!

I wanted to share my experience today and how it has changed my perception of giving.  It didn’t hurt that today was a beautiful day.  Today, I made a conscious effort to be warm and open in a class that I really like, even though I bombed my last exam.  Instead of the usual five minutes of playing with my phone before class began I decided to engage with my neighbour instead.  Don’t get me wrong this isn’t a huge stretch as we have become acquaintances and we usually sit together.  I thought it would be nice to ask her what her plans for the weekend were and engage in conversation.  What I didn’t expect was the change in my mood.  From engaging with her she reciprocated and throughout the lecture we make jokes and even talked for a few minutes after class.  What I am meaning is that by giving someone else my attention and interest I gained the same if not more from my neighbour than she did for me. 

The same thing happened today while grabbing bags from the car for the thrift store.  While I was running (seriously running) back to the store I saw an elderly man walking his dog.  The dog leaped towards me with its tail wagging so I couldn’t help but ask the man if I could pet the cute fluff ball.  While playing with the dog the man told me about his dog, asked me what I was doing, and even gave me a friendly wave bye after I told him to have a great day. This really made my day and I couldn’t be happier I stopped and took the time to meet a stranger. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that we have so much to gain from giving to others.  It truly brings happiness to you and the person who receives what you are offering.  This doesn’t have to be a huge gift, I noticed the emotional benefits today and I was only giving my attention.  I strongly believe giving back to your community in any way not only builds a strong and beautiful community but also allows you to feel connected and experience belonging. 

I will leave you with a picture of the succulent I planted up today for one of my close friends 19^th birthday.  Have a great weekend!