Tuesday, September 7, 2010

A BOUQUET OF "FLOWERS"

The Bad News: My mom fell last Friday.

The Good News: She’s OK.

My mom is in her late 70’s, has a lot of pain in her knees, and an arthritic hip that gives her trouble. She “missed” a curb, and went right down…quick.

I got a call around dinnertime from my oldest son, “Hey Mom, everything’s
all right, but…

NEVER a good way for a phone call to start…

Seems that Mom hit some kind of steel bench on her way down, went to the hospital in an ambulance, had to have 2 cuts stitched up on her chin, and was currently getting x-rays to make sure nothing was broken (nothing was!).

Praise God – my mom is none the worse for wear!

She has a rather large bandage on her chin (the hospital one was small and unassuming – my dad’s replacement one 24 hours later is “battlefield-worthy”!!), a few scrapes and scratches, and a HUGE bruise on her hip – which she is rather proud of, I might add!

So, what’s all this have to do with flowers?!

I think it’s a good practice to “give someone flowers” every chance you get. Maybe not a “literal” bouquet, but something that tells them how you feel about them.

This little “accident” of my mom’s really showed me, yet again, how much I really appreciate her – for all the things she does for me, and for all the things she is to me. So I spent yesterday afternoon with her, brought her a small gift, and a card. And then I just told her how much I loved and appreciated her.

After all, she’s been my best friend my whole life!

When “The Boys” were in elementary school, we used to do a fun thing on Teacher Appreciation Day. We would make 26 tissue-paper flowers and attach them to green pipe cleaners. Then we would make 26 tags with a word describing their teachers’ best qualities and traits, starting with each letter of the alphabet, and then attach one tag to each stem. We’d get an inexpensive vase, fashion a bouquet, and give it to them with a card. It was always a “hit” – (by the way, X usually stood for “X-cellent!”).

We all have people in our lives who deserve to be recognized, appreciated, told how much they’re lovedwe all have people who need to know how we feel about them.

The “gift of flowers” can be ANYTHING – the possibilities are endless!

It can be as simple as a card, an email, a phone call, a cup of coffee, a hug…

The important thing is acknowledging what a particular person means to you, and letting them KNOW how you feel.

Is there someone in your life who deserves a “bouquet?!”



BLOG = “Blessedly Leaning On God!”

9 comments:

  1. Sharon,
    What a great reminder to tell the people we love them just how much we love and appreciate them. Hope your mom continues to do well.
    Blessings,
    andrea

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  2. You are amazing. Great blog. I have always loved your writing.
    Nancy

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  3. glad your mom is doing as well as she can; hope she makes a complete recovery; excellent advice for us with giving "bouquets" to the special people in our lives, no matter who they could be :)

    betty

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  4. I'm sure that was a frightening phone call for you. Mine came when the day camp where my kids were called to say, "is this _____'s Mom? Well, we got the bleeding stopped." Ummm...I'm ON MY WAY! What a wonderful post, Sharon...of course, MINUS Mom getting hurt! Ya know the one thing I got to do for my mom the month before she died, that meant the world to her was a lotion slathered up foot rub....for as LOOOOOONG as she wanted it. Something so simple, but SO appreciated. Another fabulous thing is just spending TIME with someone to let them know that THEY matter just as much as our busy schedules. I did countless Word Search puzzles with Mom too while we talked about absolutely nothing of any value. Now, those are TREASURED memories! I would have done it time & again if I didn't live 1/2 a country away. You're right...the possibilities of "bouquets" are endless.

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  5. I'm so glad your mother's ok. This post just reminded me of how God can take anything that happens in our lives, even the scary near-misses and turn them around for our good. I know I'm normally the first one to need to be taken out of my day-to-day bubble and reminded of how important the people in my life really are. Thank God that he can re-focus us in an instant on those things that are the MOST precious in our lives =)

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  6. First, I'm glad that your mother didn't hurt herself even worse. I understand every word that you wrote about her and how much you appreciate her. That's the same way that I feel about my mom.

    I also love the "nudge" to give a bouquet, of whatever type it can be. The best bouquets are for no special reason ... the "just because" bouquets.

    I have several such bouquets that I want to give before this week is up.

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  7. Andrea - Thanks for your kind words. They really mean a lot. Mom is doing very well! Blessings to YOU, too!

    Nancy - You have always been one of my best cheerleaders, my dear friend! Thanks so much for stopping by - I really appreciate it!

    Betty - Thanks for your concern. I expect Mom to make a full recovery (if she can put up with my dad's "nursing" that is!!)

    Merana - Oh, my...some of the WORST words a mom could hear!! What sweet and kind things you did for your mother. What precious memories you have. You are right - sometimes TIME is the greatest gift...

    Paula - You are SO right! God does have ways of "waking us up" to the really important things and people in our lives. I had a friend who had this saying on a quaint, framed "cross-stitch": The most important things in life aren't things. AMEN!

    Debbie - You know what it's like to have a mom as a best friend...I'm so glad for you. And I'm sure your girls feel the same way about you. It was a good (not a good event, but you know what I mean) reminder for me to be aware of EVERY chance to give a "bouquet" to someone.

    And so, my dear friends...Here's my "bouquet" for all of you (from Kirby's Acrostic Dictionary):

    F riendly
    R adiant
    I ntelligent
    E nthusiastic
    N ice
    D elightful
    S imply wonderful people!

    BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL!

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  8. I really enjoyed reading the posts on your blog. I would like to invite you to come on over to my blog and check it out. God bless, Lloyd

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  9. Thanks, Lloyd, I'll do that! And I really appreciate you joining me on the journey!

    GOD BLESS!

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

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