Unprecedented is a word that is used often lately – unprecedented pandemic, unprecedented wildfires, unprecedented politics. But today I muse joyfully on unprecedented kindness.
Last Thursday afternoon was rainy, cold, overcast. And, as I am working remotely these days, I felt a little lonely, missing chats while grabbing a coffee, talking and laughing with colleagues, students, friends – admiring shoes, delighting in shared experiences, smells, tastes.
So when my friend, Melissa Trembley, texted, “I have a surprise to drop off to you,” I wondered, “Huh, what could it be?”
And, it was unprecedented kindness in the form of a bouquet of flowers.
Every week, Melissa Trembley and Kelly Kern of York Flower Shop (https://yorkflowershopmaine.com/) deliver a bouquet of flowers to women they know. According to Melissa, “every week we get a bouquet and we get to take them to someone that we know, that we love, to let them know they are thought about during this hard time – just reaching out to people.”
And I got a bouquet on Thursday. My day was made, my eyes teared up, my heart grew.
Unprecedented kindness.
According to Melissa, there is no method to reaching out. “God runs the show,” she remarked, and 90% of the people on the receiving end of bouquets remarked, “I really needed this today.” Melissa and Kelly have delivered flowers to women who just learned a friend was in hospice, who were just going off for surgery.
And they’ve been doing this since the end of March.
Unprecedented kindness.
“You can’t see people smile,” remarked Melissa, and gestures and looks are hidden behind masks and social distance.
But flowers delivered as a surprise?
It’s a wonderful time for unprecedented kindness, acts that bring smiles, flowers that bring color and light. I muse joyfully you will experience unprecedented kindness; we need it now more than ever.
Susan Dromey Heeter is a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white. Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards.
The opinions expressed are those of the writer. InDepthNH.org takes no position on politics, but welcomes diverse opinions. email nancywestnews@gmail.com