On occasion, our customers share their experiences with us of how flowers or gardening helped them thru a horrible time. One of our staff, Lou, was happy to share her story about her little girl, Lucy.
A full-time teacher and mother of two, Lou's life was much like most moms - busy, busy, busy - until tragedy struck her family as her infant, Lucy, was diagnosed with
Lissencephaly. As one can imagine, their lives were turned upside down. Lou now had to shift hats and become a nurse to her baby girl while still raising her three-year-old, Violet. "There are segments of time that I don't remember. I know that's when family and friends were there to help. We had and still have a great support team." Lou said that with the help of family, friends and nurses, she was able to live each day to its fullest, "As we should, right?"
The inevitable came to be in December of 2015 when, as Lou put it, "Lucy found her freedom and would not suffer any more."
Within three days of Lucy passing, they had to pack up and move as they closed on their new home in McHenry County. "That's one of those times I just don't remember how we did it...must have been family."
Now, not only coping with the loss of Lucy, she also had to settle into a new town, new home and still be a good mom to Violet. Lou was led to a Blog site written by another mom who had suffered the same loss. She had started Acts of Kindness in remembrance of her twin boys. "That's it! Lucy will live on through people doing acts of kindness. Instead of planning a birthday party for her every year, I will plan out my 10 Acts of Kindness for Lucy! I already have this year's planned and can't wait to see the ripple effect of kindness."
Lou started working here at Countryside last spring. None of us knew her background, that she had lost her daughter, that she was a school teacher in Chicago or that thru high school and college she worked for nurseries and that's how she learned about plants. All we knew was she was nice, friendly and knowledgeable...It wasn't until she let management know in the fall that she would be leaving us for the school year to start substitute teaching. "Working here has been very therapeutic. So many unique people came in who needed help with plant selection and ideas for their gardens. The physical work here, being around all the flowers and plants and helping others was like stepping stones back into my life."
As Lou said, "At some point in life, everyone loses someone they love, and they find a way to go on. Lucy can't be here to spread her kindness, but I am and I will and I invite you to do the same! On her birthday, July 10, join us with 10 Acts of Kindness for Lucy." Click here to share your 10 Acts of Kindness!
http://www.lucyslessons.com/join-us-on-july-10.html
In Lou's life and many others, plants don't judge, they don't give you advice, or an opinion. They are simply there to enjoy.
By: with special thanks to:
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Marcy L Cronin
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Lou Humbles
Perennial Sales Associate |
