>Read when you have time and need to return to what's > > important in life. > > > > 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?" > > »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«§:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*: »§« My friends tell me that I refuse to grow up, but I know they're just jealous because they don't have pajamas with feet. Richiele 'Marie <*}}>< MSN [email protected] »§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«§:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«