There's a house on our usual walking route that has a lot of flowers out front. They're mostly simple pansies or marigolds, but my daughter is captivated by them. When we ask if she wants to go by the garden, she always answers with an enthusiastic "Yes!" Last night, as we made our way to the garden, we saw the woman who lives there outside working in her garden, either planting or weeding. She saw us approaching and said a gentle "Hello."
We paused, returned the nicety, and paused so our daughter could take in the purple, red, yellow, and orange flowers.
"Take one," the garden lady said.
"Are you sure?" we asked, a bit taken aback.
"Sure. That's what they're there for."
We asked our daughter which one she wanted. She selected a purple one and I knelt to break the stem and hand it to her. We wished the garden lady a good night and continued on our loop back home.
If you create something beautiful, don't be afraid to give it to others. No, you can't always control what they'll do with it, but beauty is too great and wonderful to keep to yourself.
My daughter may never remember this particular walk, but I hope she becomes the kind of person who's not afraid to make beautiful things for others to enjoy.
May you do the same this week, in your small plot in this world.