A few years ago I was given a peace lily for an end of school year thank you. It was a precious gift, and my only hope was that I could keep it alive long enough to enjoy its beauty. I set it in my home and I enjoyed its beauty and pleasant thoughts of the adorable boy who had gifted it to me. When it began to wilt, I watered it.
Somewhere along the way, I started to neglect it and really not pay it much attention. It stubbornly held on and continued to survive. It became root bound and leafy, but never bloomed.
When I moved, I took this plant with me. It was a gift and something inside of me wanted to see it survive and flourish. Last summer I almost threw it away because, well, it was sad and pathetic looking. Instead, I took it out of its old planter, divided it up into about six other planters and left them to die on the deck. Every once in a while I’d throw some water on them, but mostly, I ignored them. I figured I’d already killed them and they didn’t have a chance.
Survive and flourish is exactly what each of those tender little plants accomplished. I looked down one day as I passed them by on the deck, and they were all green! Tiny little shoots reaching up begging to be recognized. They had made it!
I did what any sane person would do, I started talking to them and gently coaxing them along. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of that before. I placed them on the deck railing where I could keep my eye on them. I poked around in the dirt for them and watered them when they became dry. I continued to speak gently to them.
Fall and winter came and I took them indoors. I was enjoying my new plants and taking care of them. One day as I passed by, I noticed a bloom. Yes, a beautiful bloom. New growth. New bloom. New life.
Not all have bloomed yet, but all are surviving and flourishing. I was able to share a small peace lily plant with my daughter this past week. I transferred it into a pretty new pot for her to enjoy at her new home.
A simple gift of thanks from the heart of a four year boy multiples over and over. What will I multiply today? Gratitude? Thankfulness? Kindness? Yes. Yes. Yes.
A Net of Hope 