The Flowers In My Life's Garden

The flowers in my life's garden are my family and friends.

I know I speak of them often. But I continue to learn new lessons in Life and I pass them on as a token of my love and appreciation to the people that bless my days. Not just any old Monday when come home tired and want to blah, blah, blah on the phone. Not a month from now when we're still saying "we need to set a date to get together". 

But at a time when I'm struck down after a surgery and truly need help. 

In March I had both knees replaced and I have to admit - I'm an impatient patient! 

I was house bound, stuck in bed for hours on end and four walls did not suit me well. Pain medication had the side effect of making me cry at the change of a tv channel and I did not like it. My son Todd would talk to me with humor and patience and I will be forever grateful for those calls. My cousin Linda came to visit and as my sister of the heart, just said and gabbed with me about summer coming and the beach. Our favorite time together.

Friends called, send cards, texted, emailed. Neighbors stopped in. My sweet son Matt and his wife Connie sent me the most beautiful scarf from Thailand. My Mom called every day and gave me pep talks about the patience of healing. I prayed alone, I prayed holding the hands of some very good friends. 

Not one of my friends hesitated when it came to offering a ride to the doctor's. Yogurt arrived, fruit appeared in the refrig., flowers bloomed all over!

Finally, I'll get to the point....

What I learned in this time of healing, when I had to depend on others so very much, was true friendship. Selfless friendship. The kind that will always make me endeavor to be a better person in a deeper more meaningful way to others. Because it wasn't about what was easy for them, it was what they could do for me. 

They laid in bed with me and watched tv because I couldn't get up and down the stairs. They flipped through magazines or read next to me to take up a lonely hour of my day. One even helped me off the darn toilet when my two legs wouldn't seem to cooperate at the same time!  My kids brought Easter dinner to the house, cleaned up and left a huge feeling of  "I love you Mom" behind.

And this is just a drop in the bucket as to how blessed I feel about the beautiful people in 

my Life's garden of 

friendship!   Mom* Jennifer