I got this recently and had to share. We have a young Down-syndrome man who volunteers at the Hospital, and I see him weekly at my clinic. He always accompanied by at least one other supervisor. I make it a point to say hello, and try to engage him in conversation. He is always very focused on his job of cleaning , and usually just says Hi and goes back to work. I always hope for him to relax. He always seems to be surprised that I talk to him. I thought you all would get a Blessing from the following story: A Dandelion Blue Rose Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went. I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasnt in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, Mommy, Im over here. It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, Hey Buddy, whats your name? My name is Denny and Im shopping with my mother, he responded proudly. Wow, I said, thats a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve. Steve, like Stevarino? he asked. Yes, I answered. How old are you Denny? How old am I now, Mommy? he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. Youre fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by. I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the centre of someones attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section. Dennys mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldnt even look at him, much less talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in Gods Garden; however, Blue Roses are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesnt stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then theyve missed a blessing from God. She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, Who are you? Without thinking I said, Oh, Im probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in Gods garden. She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, God bless you! and then I had tears in my eyes. May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, whichever differences that person may have, dont turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family. From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to the powers that be.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 21:53:08 +0000
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