TO DANDELIONS

THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE - ... a timely story to make you think

> >
> >
> > Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come
> > see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a
> > two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday,

> > " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.
> > Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I
> > drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and
> > greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! 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!" My 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!" I 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," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used

> > to this."After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This
> > isn't the way to the garage!" "We're going to my garage the long way,"
> > Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly,
> > "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never

> > forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
> >
> > After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw

> > a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered
> > sign that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car and each took a

> > child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a
> > corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me 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?" I asked
> > Carolyn. "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the
> > property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house

> > that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked
> > up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "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 moment was a
> > life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met,
> > who, more than forty 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 her daffodil garden taught 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 change the world.
> >
> > "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have
> > accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty
> > years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all
> > those years.
> >
> > Just think what I might have been able to achieve! "My daughter summed
> > up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she

> > said. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The
> > way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for
> > regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"
> >
> > .....Author Unknown
> > We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married,
> > have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't
> > old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're
> > frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be
> > happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life
> > will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we
> > get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we
> > retire.
> >
> > The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not
> > now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best
> > to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is
> > the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more
> > because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your

> > time with... and remember that time waits for no one.
> >
> > 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 10 lbs.
> > Until you gain 10 lbs.
> > Until you get married
> > Until you get a divorce
> > Until you have kids
> > Until you retire
> > Until summer
> > Until spring
> > Until winter
> > Until fall
> > Until you die
> >
> > 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.
> >
> > If you want to brighten someone's day...Today, then Pass this on to
> > someone special