W5: Paying Flowers Forward
Some things in life just seem to fit together perfectly…almost, mysteriously. A few weeks ago in Kansas City, the owner of KC Flower Company had a customer purchase an arrangement of flowers, and then hand them right back to her. What happened next was heartwarming, and it renews your belief that some things are larger than mere luck.
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W5: PAYING FLOWERS FORWARD
HAPPY WEDNESDAY EVERYONE. I REMEMBER DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, BEFORE WE HAD EZ PASSES, I WAS STUCK IN LINE AT A TOLL BOOTH. WHEN I FINALLY GOT TO THE BOOTH TO PAY MY TOLL, THE ATTENDANT WAVED HER HAND, MOTIONING FOR ME TO KEEP DRIVING. I PAUSED AND SHE SAID, “THE PERSON IN THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU PAID YOUR TOLL, HAVE A GREAT DAY.” IT TOOK ME A MOMENT BUT I KNEW WHAT I HAD TO DO….SO I FLOORED MY 10-YEAR-OLD HONDA ACCORD HATCHBACK…AND THAT DIDN’T GET ME ANYWHERE…SO I WAS NEVER ABLE TO CATCH THE PERSON AND GIVE THEM A SMILE AND A THUMBS UP. WHAT’S FUNNY IS….IT WAS 50 CENTS, PROBABLY TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO….AND I STILL HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN IT.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT DOING SOMETHING REALLY KIND WITHOUT EVER KNOWING WHO IT WILL IMPACT….AND HOW IT CAN HAVE A LASTING IMPACT….ON THEM…AND ON MANY OTHERS.
EPISODE
WHEN EMILY WORTHINGTON, THE OWNER OF KC FLOWER COMPANY IN KANSAS CITY SIGNED UP FOR A LOCAL OUTDOOR MARKET CALLED THE FALL CHICK EVENT HELD A FEW WEEKS AGO, SHE SAW IT AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CARRY OUT HER COMPANY’S MISSION OF BRINGING SOME JOY TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH FLOWERS, AND MAYBE EVEN FIND A FEW NEW CUSTOMERS.
IT WAS A PERFECT EARLY FALL DAY AND WITH OVER 120 VENDORS, FOOD TRUCKS, AND KIDS DECORATING PUMPKINS, THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON, AND FLOWERS ARE ALWAYS A HIT AT AN OUTDOOR EVENT IN THE FALL, SO EMILY WAS BUSY.
AT ONE POINT A WOMAN SHE DIDN’T KNOW PURCHASED A FLOWER ARRANGEMENT, AND WHEN EMILY HANDED THEM TO HER, THE WOMAN HANDED THEM RIGHT BACK AND SAID TO PLEASE GIVE THEM TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT NEED THEM TODAY.
AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE WOMAN WALKED AWAY.
EMILY STOOD THERE, A LITTLE UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO. THE WOMAN MANNING THE BOOTH NEXT TO HER HAPPENED TO HEAR THE ENTIRE THING, SO WHEN EMILY TURNED TO HER AND ASKED “HOW DO I KNOW WHO TO GIVE THESE FLOWERS TO?” THE VENDOR NEXT TO HER SAID….” YOU’LL KNOW.”
NEEDLESS TO SAY, EMILY WAS MOVED…. SHE SET THE FLOWERS ASIDE AND KEPT WORKING.
JUST AS SHE WAS WRAPPING UP HER DAY AND THE EVENT WAS COMING TO A CLOSE, A NEW CUSTOMER APPROACHED THE BOOTH, DRESSED IN ALL PINK, AND TOLD EMILY THAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR SOME FLOWERS FOR HER SISTER-IN-LAW…SHE THEN ASKED EMILY IF HER COMPANY MADE ARRANGEMENTS THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR A FUNERAL, BECAUSE HER SISTER-IN-LAW HAD JUST PASSED AWAY FROM BREAST CANCER.
IMMEDIATELY EMILY KNEW WHAT TO DO…SHE SAID, “WAIT A SECOND…I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU.” SHE HANDED HER THE FLOWERS, EXPLAINING THAT SOMEONE HAD ALREADY PICKED THEM OUT FOR HER…. AND WHEN SHE DID…EMILY SAYS THAT SHE WILL NEVER FORGET THE LOOK ON THE WOMAN’S FACE.
THE NEXT DAY, EMILY MADE A POST ON KC FLOWER COMPANY’S INSTAGRAM PAGE TELLING THE STORY AND HOPING THAT THE STORY WOULD MAKE IT TO THE WOMAN WHO BOUGHT THE FLOWERS.
THE STORY SPREAD ON INSTAGRAM AND WAS SHARED ON SEVERAL BLOGS….IT HAS INSPIRED COUNTLESS PEOPLE, AND ALL BECAUSE A WOMAN DECIDED TO SPEND A MOMENT AND A FEW DOLLARS TO MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY…SOMEONE SHE’LL PROBABLY NEVER MEET.
I LIKE SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT THIS STORY. ONE, OF COURSE, WAS THE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS. I ALSO LIKE HOW THE FLOWERS FOUND THE PERFECT HOME…AND FINALLY, I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SHARE MOMENTS LIKE THESE WHEN THEY HAPPEN, AND I LIKE HOW EMILY TOOK TIME OUT OF HER DAY TO MAKE A POST WITH THE HOPES OF IT MAKING ITS WAY TO THE RIGHT PERSON….BUT ALSO, I LIKE THAT WE ALL GOT TO HEAR IT, BECAUSE WE NEED THIS STORY IN OUR LIVES FOR BALANCE.
I RECENTLY REACHED OUT TO EMILY TO SEE IF SHE HAD FOUND THE WOMAN…SHE SAID SHE STILL HASN’T FOUND HER…BUT STILL HOPES THE WOMAN MIGHT HEAR THE STORY EVENTUALLY.
SHE SAYS, “THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS I LOVE WHAT I DO. FLOWERS ARE SO POWERFUL AND BRING SO MUCH JOY…IN THIS CASE, MORE THAN I EVER KNEW POSSIBLE.”
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