Flowers!!! So, my husband brought daffodils to my classroom the other day. He had cut them fresh from our front yard and wanted to brighten my day. Needless to say, it worked.
Many different analogies cover relationships and how we balance ourselves, how we judge our contentment and happiness. I choose to go with the love bucket. Perhaps you saw that I referred to it in another post – Slushie to the Face. Anyway, it is very obvious. When you are treated with kindness and thoughtfulness, when your needs are placed in front of others – your bucket gets a scoop of lovin’. If your love bucket runs empty then you have no way of filling anyone else’s. And that really is the goal, isn’t it? To fill others with love?
I try very hard to fill the love buckets of those in my life. On this day, though – my husband really nailed it. I had commented on how pretty they looked in the front yard and even said the words…whose day could I make brighter tomorrow by bringing them some fresh, bright yellow flowers? I promise this was in no way a passive aggressive hint to my husband that I would like for him to bring them to me. That’s just not how I work; or how he does. In fact, until this day I would have told you that I had a much better chance of having flowers in my classroom if I just cut them for myself rather than wait for him to do it.
Let me explain – that is not a slam against him – it’s just now how he thinks, generally. I mean, if he cuts them, then they will die sooner. If he cuts them and removes them from the house, then we cannot enjoy them at home…where we spend most of our time together. I get it. They are planted there – they should stay there. Now, that’s how he thinks. That all just adds to the gesture.
Wow. Nice one, honey. To be surprised after all these years. Not just by the flowers, but by the change in perspective. My bucket runneth over. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to make me feel loved. These daffodils are way better than any store bought flowers because we grew them together – gross, right? The grosser the sentiment, the fuller the bucket – that’s just how the love bucket works. Have you handed out your scoop of lovin’ today?
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at had found his way into the chapel. This wasp, rather than hovering on the mounds of colorful blooms that were gathered around the coffin, sputtered at the ceiling as if trying to escape the pain and suffering in the room. I remember thinking that his flight path was staggered and haphazard; misguided and misdirected – simply all over the place, as if a strong, shifiting wind kept him from going his intended direction. It seemed so symbolic of life sometimes. Determined, however misguided, he pounded himself into the white ceiling again and again to no avail – no escape. Eventually, he gave up and landed on the chandelier and remained motionless, as if he had found peace. When the preacher began to speak I lost sight of the wasp as I focused on the words of the man. Tears do not scare me, nor do I shy away from public displays of emotion, especially in a situation like this. But, I was trying to be strong for the students around me. So when I found myself overcome with emotion I searched for the wasp again in an attempt to distract myself. However, much to my disappointment, I could not find the wasp. The wasp was gone. The wasp had found his way out; he was free. Right then, as my eyes swelled with tears, I realized that Danielle is also free. She is free from all of this pain and suffering. Her struggles have ended and she has found peace with her Savior. Still, I remain, looking at her grieving parents, and cannot help but feel that this is the wrong kind of goodbye.
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