When the Daisies Bloomed

Just a year ago. There were no landscaping beds here. Only a plan in my head. One I had been waiting to execute for years. But it felt overwhelming to tackle by myself.

So last fall. Matt asked if he could help me take the plans. And make my vision come to life. And I said yes. Because it finally seemed do-able with him.

And these little shasta daisies. Were one of the plants. I patiently waited for. Because cutting gardens are my total jam. And I just knew these all summer long bloomers. Would give me happy happy joy joy.

So even though I knew they wouldn’t bloom in winter. That I would have to wait several long months for summer. I dreamed of seeing them wide open. Faces smiling toward the sunshine.

And this week—they finally bloomed. Oh happy day! Months of (mostly) patient waiting. That culminated in a perfectly timed, very unexpected reminder.

You see, friends, I’ve been quietly waiting this week, too. For my Instagram account to be restored. For some kind of explanation as to what happened. Wondering if two years of hard work has been lost.

So while I waited. And the summer daisies at our happy house on the hill bloomed. Something else happened.

I remembered back. To the seeds I first sowed in my IG garden. They were planted over two years ago. When I tentatively wrote my very first post. Having no idea if those words would ever bloom and grow. Really wondering if I would ever bloom and grow.

But day after day. Week after week. For months upon months. I showed up in good faith. To cultivate my garden. Not exactly sure what would happen.

And his week. When everything seemed to fall apart. I found out. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. That my IG garden is fully blooming. In spite of my forced absence. Happy faces, shining and smiling right back at me.

And, dear ones—those blooms are all of you. You are my IG daisies. Hundreds of messages between my personal email and FB account. Thousands of clicks on my blog. All of you tracking me down. Making sure that I’m okay. Encouraging me. Sharing the impact I’ve had in your lives. Asking how you can help.

And, friends, it’s not lost on me. That as the daisies bloomed outside my home. They bloomed here, too—in ordinary goodness.

And even in the continued waiting. With no real answers from IG yet. You all became an even better answer—a garden far more beautiful. Than I could’ve ever planned for. Or even imagined. Believe that.