apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I received a completely unexpected bouquet from a stranger once...

I was working retail and had a particularly trying day. I had been late that morning and therefore had to pay to park in an expensive garage, I had 8 hours of difficult customers, and I had returned to the garage that evening to find that my car had been hit (and of course, no note was left).

Feeling low, I stopped by my favorite organic market to pick up some comfort food. I must have looked awful as I stood in line, because the cashier (a guy around my age) asked me how my day had been- and listened when I gave him the summary. After I'd paid, he handed me my bags, and a big bundle of deeply red ranunculus. Surprised, I said that they weren't mine. He just smiled and said that I should consider them a gift, and that he hoped my day would improve.

It did!

I was in grad school, spending a summer on a grant in southern Poland. I was staying in a perfectly acceptable, but plain, "dorm" used to house faculty of the local university. When I arrived at a meeting a local official presented me with a beautiful bouquet because it happened to be July 4th. It was his way of helping me "celebrate" since I was so far from home. They really made the room (more of a studio with ensuite bathroom and micro-mini ktchen) more gracious, and made me feel appreciated. After that I tried to always have at least a few stems in the room. I should do that now, shouldn't I?

In my early 20s I lived in an upscale neighborhood of Manhattan where I would pass a corner market everyday. The market had a beautiful selection of flowers which I would admire, but couldn't afford to buy. One afternoon (when I was looking particularly ragged, I might add) I popped in to buy a soda. When I went to the checkout counter the shopkeeper presented me with a beautiful bouquet which she said were purchased for me by a tall, blonde gentleman who wanted to remain anonymous. I always suspected it was the Mexican dude who tended the flowers outside. Either way, it made my day and I've never forgotten the gesture.

My boyfriend and I work in adjacent buildings, so whenever I have a particularly tough day he surprises me with flowers at work; he even got me a small vase to keep on my desk for such occasions, and it's rarely empty.

Another time I asked him to to drop something off at my apartment, when I was up to my ears in errands to run; I got home to find a beautiful bouquet of freesias (my favourite flowers), as well as an apartment that was cleaner than I remembered...

What can I say, I'm blessed. :)

Sweet post, Kyle.

This post just made my day (and I've never been spontaneously given flowers) :) It's so nice to hear about random acts of kindness and flowers always brighten my day!