When Someone Believes in You

As I plant and plan for a big event that is coming up in the middle of June celebrating students who are graduating from high school, I have been reflecting on what that means as it relates to my flowers.

Two things have occurred to me.

The first is that my flowers who are going to the party will all be different bouquets.

160 different, unique and beautiful bouquets.

Each flower is not trying to be like another. Their Beauty is in being more fully who they are.

They do not compete, because they don’t ever think about it….they just grow to their best ability given the conditions that Nature and I are providing on my little flower farm- that’s it.

No comparison.

They are not trying to be like someone else— there is no performance here.

It is as real as it gets. No pretending. They bring with them their unique scent, colour, texture.

Just like the graduates will only ever experience this evening once, they will only put that tux on or get into their special graduation dress alongside their friends This One Time.

Those 825 people will only be there to celebrate together This One Time.

These flowers will only ever be looking like this On This One Day.

And then as I water, and weed and harvest stems….I think about how every day is this. This one day- never to be repeated.

Once the flowers have bloomed on my little flower farm and I appreciate their scent in the early morning or later in the evening – once they have all finished – that is it. For another whole year. I’m now 59. I don’t have endless more years to see these sweet peas, David Austins, peonies, mock orange….

And so…I revert to my old pattern.

I appreciate every moment with them.

I take pictures to capture the moment- as well as any camera can.

I remain present in the moment.

I know what impermanence means.

My flowers remind me of what I know to be Beautiful in the world. What it means to be successful. Be rooted in healthy soil and be yourself.

And if you are a flower, or a kind person, you can bring Beauty to a person’s day simply by being yourself.

Flowers can speak to someone in a profound way and say the things that their friends might not have words for just by their very presence.

The second thing that I have been thinking about is the idea that you grow and thrive when someone believes in you.

These students have had the experience of a teacher or a coach believing in them. And when they are beginning something and don’t know how to do it— they break it down into understandable pieces and the student learns the skill and builds the confidence. They also learn the feeling of what it feels like when someone knows you and believes in you, perhaps before you even believe you can do the thing, know the thing, master the thing.

In fact, that is my experience with these flowers. Eight years ago an event organizer hired me to do an event. Her belief in me fuelled my learning of how I was going to do-the-thing. I worked really hard through all the self doubt to deliver something for her event that I could be proud of and that would meet her high standards for her client.

Lovely things happened. A lovely follower on my flower account on instagram got in touch offering flowers from her garden for the event. She ended up becoming a Founding Member of my GEMs membership and a treasured flower friend.

One thing led to another and now my flower business and I have grown together to be strong and healthy through the freezing temperatures in the winter greenhouse, the wild winds that I despise so much, and the early morning harvesting sessions before the heat of the day…

My flowers benefit from the conditions that I can provide for them, and I benefit from the experience of being along for their journey.

For 8 years I had a stand outside my garden gate, and sold them to the community. Now I grow for events, use them in my workshops, and enjoy doing subscriptions each week. If you are interested in giving a subscription for a friend or family member (which continues to be very popular) or because you would like to have flowers for you ( also a favourite and wonderful reason to get flowers), please check this out