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I was getting
off of the
elevator when a
voice called out
from around the corner.
“Hello? Are you the flower man?”
I turned the
corner and spied
a little old
lady standing in
her open doorway.
She was the
neighbour I had
never seen. She
had a kerchief
on her hair
decorated with brightly
coloured flowers and
it was also
covered in sparkles.
“I must look a sight.”
She said, smiling.
“He called to tell me my flowers are coming and my hair was a mess. I’m sure I look horrible!”
She let out
a belly laugh
of a chuckle
and I smiled.
“No, you look beautiful. I love the sparkles.”
She reached up
a hand to
touch the kerchief.
“Isn’t it lovely? My great grand daughter gave it to me when I saw them last.”
“When was that?”
“Almost three years ago now. She’s grown up to be quite the lady.”
“I’m sure she has.”
She looked into
the hallway again
and smiled at me.
“I don’t know what’s keeping him. Maybe he got lost in the building.”
“Did you want me to go down and see if he’s in the lobby?”
I spotted a
walker behind her
and she was
holding onto the
doorframe for support.
“No need, dear, that’s kind of you. I’m just excited to get the flowers!”
Her joy was
infectious and I
smiled again, feeling
so much light.
“Is there a special occasion for the flowers? Is it your birthday?”
“No, dear, I stopped having birthdays when I turned eighty. No, the flowers are to celebrate the birth of another great grandchild! My grandchild Josie had another baby girl!”
“That’s lovely, congratulations!”
“That’s sweet of you dear. They said that since I couldn’t be there with them, I could at least share the joy.”
I thought of
the idea, sharing
joy with others,
even if they
are far away.
I thought of
this woman, my
neighbour, bursting with
so much joy
that it was
making me joyous, too.
“You tell them that that was a wonderful thing to do. What are you going to do to celebrate?”
She let out
a little laugh.
“I’m going to have a glass of wine, put on some nice music and look at my flowers.”
As if on
cue, we heard
the elevator doors
and a man
carrying the largest
vase of flowers
that I had
ever seen strode
towards us. I
smiled at him.
“She’s been waiting for you.”
When she saw
them, I thought
she would burst
from the joy,
her face shining.
Instead, it lifted
the spirits of
both the deliver
man and myself.
He had had
a grumpy look
on his face
before, but now,
much like me,
he was smiling.
“Oh, you do know how to spoil an old lady. Bring them into my dining room if you could and put them on the table. And dear-”
She reached out
and took my
hand, giving it
a little squeeze.
“Thank you.”
The door closed
behind her, but
her joy flowed
out of her
apartment in a
wave of sparkles
and light. I
rode the wave
of joy home.