When you’re Leftat50, you often think you’re the only one this bad thing happened to. And you start to think, “I’m a person that bad things happen to.” But in reality, good things happen also. Why sometimes, an entire bathroom trashcan of good things happen.
Several years ago on my way home from work, I decided to stop at my local flower shop. It was an adorable place that looked like a tiny cottage packed with fresh flowers. I was just going to buy a bunch of whatever looked fresh for my bedroom. It’d been a long week and I needed a treat for eyes strained from long hours proofing a sitcom script.
The soft-faced man who worked there was closing up shop. He noticed me hurrying about trying to choose which would bloom longest.
He looked at me, smiled slyly and announced, “I feel compelled to let you take all of the flowers home.”
“I’m supposed to throw them out. It’s a stupid rule the owner has. Such a waste! You see, this is just an extra part-time job I took on. I’m giving you all of the flowers.”
In the greatest shock ever, I ran to my car and got every single bag I had. I was beside myself gleefully stuffing dozens and dozens of every kind of flower from roses to daffodils to Shasta daisies and mums and pansies and Zinnias and everything in between into Trader Joe’s and Ralph’s bags.
I floated home and unloaded this gorgeous, fragrant booty scavenger hunting through my own home to find enough containers to fill with water to keep them in!
Water pitchers, glasses, soda bottles, jam jars, even the bathroom garbage can were put into service extending the life of this surprise flower field that had found its way into my home! I even dug through my recycle bin looking for anything that could hold flowers. I was clipping off the bottoms and throwing ice cubes in everything trying to keep them blooming.
Daisies smiled at me from the corn can I shoved them in. Rosebuds exploded in the morning sun, overpowering the smell of my java roast. Lilacs blocked my mirror as I brushed my teeth, my elated reflection peeking back at me.
There are people in this world who do nice things for no reason other than to make someone’s day. Holy gosh, it’d been a long time since I had experienced that kind of giver.
Maybe it wasn’t all him. He mentioned my beaming smile that compelled him to do what he did. I was starting to bloom. Perhaps my opening up to unexpected happiness had invited it in like a hesitant guest who’d been waiting to ring the doorbell and enter the party of life.
We all have a version of this flower story. Do you remember yours? Focus on that today, because it turns out joy loves company too! Adios misery!
We all go through major life transitions when relationships end… Through this website, I will share my thoughts as I walk the path of “New-Self” discovery. It doesn’t matter which side of 50 you are on. The real question is, Are you ready to live life? To forge a Path of Your Own Making (For a change!)? Then stop dwelling over the What-Might-Have-Beens and join me. Share your thoughts here, comment on mine, and let’s do this together!