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It had been a long winter. Although it seemed like a dozen requests to come and visit, it really only took three calls to get her to make the two hour drive to see her daughter and family. When the day arrived to go make the visit it was cold and rainy. Still, a promise was a promise,so she went.
When she finally walked into their house and hugged and greeted the grandchildren, she said, “Forget the daffodils! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!” Her daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, Mother.”
“Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears, and then I’m heading for home!” she assured her. “I was hoping you’d take me
over to the garage to pick up my car.” “How far will we have to drive?” “Just a few blocks,” She agreed. “I’ll drive. I’m used to this.” After several minutes, she asked, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage!”
“We’re going to my garage the long way,”her daughter smiled, “by way of the daffodils.” ” smiling sternly she said, “please turn around.” “It’s all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.” After about twenty minutes, they turned onto a small gravel road revealing a small church.
On the far side of the church, there was a hand-lettered sign that read, “Daffodil Garden.” Getting out of the car and taking each child’s hand, she followed Amy down the path. Then,turning a corner of the path, they looked up and gasped.
Before them lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns-great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers. “But who has done this?” she wondered. “It’s just one woman,”
“She lives on the property. That’s her home.” A well kept frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. Walking up to the house. a poster was visible once they got to the patio.
“Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline.
The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs,” it read.
The second answer was “One at a time, by one-woman Two hands, two feet, and very little brain.”
The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”
There it was, The Daffodil Principle.
For me, that story was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than fifty years before, had begun-one bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable (indescribable) magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle of her daffodil garden; is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time–often just one baby-step at a time–and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can truly change the world!
I could regret what I might have accomplished if I had thought bigger thoughts and aspired to reach even larger goals thirty-five years ago. Imagine if I had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve?
Instead of thinking of the lost hours of yesterdays; why not start today? My hope is that you only ask, “How can I put this to use today?”
(This story is somewhat of a legend that I heard many years ago. It still inspires me as much today as the first time that I heard it.)
So, stop waiting until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you lose ten pounds
Until you gain ten pounds
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don’t need money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and, dance like no one’s watching.
When your work comes from the heart, it always leaves a legacy!
September 1st, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Loved that poem at the end of your post! It is sometimes hard to focus on the happiness of today instead of always thinking..my life would be better IF…
It’s good to have goals of improvement in our lives, but focusing on the here and now and what is most important in this life is what REALLY matters and makes the destination worth it. Thanks for the reminder.