When my wife and I moved from New Jersey to Colorado almost two months ago, we decided to use an auto transport service to deliver both vehicles to our new state. I had my doubts they’d arrive unscathed after seven days on an 18-wheel car carrier, but to my delight they arrived just as they left – though much, much dirtier.
Before our cars were ever picked-up in New Jersey, my wife had what she considered a brilliant idea – to pack her beloved house plants in the back of each car. While I was more than ready to give them away, I entertained her idea (with much skepticism). I reminded her that for seven days they’d be left in a car, with no ventilation, to bake in the hot sun. But she was determined to prove me wrong – as always.
And so she watered each plant to the point of utter saturation, placed an open cardboard box on the floor below the back seats and gently tucked each one inside for stability. While admittedly it’s much shadier (and probably cooler) on the floor, I was prepared to find a bunch of dead plants once the cars arrived in Colorado.
Well I’m publically acknowledging that I was wrong – and frankly was totally shocked. While they certainly looked like they needed water, each and every plant was still very much alive. And after a few days of nurturing, they all were back to their bright green selves having survived a long-distance trip of their own.
The story of our traveling plants reminds me a lot of life and the people we’re so fortunate to share it with.
There are many days when we’re just like those plants sitting in a box in the back seat of the car – feeling completely alone, while trying our best to hang on and persevere until somebody comes along to rescue us. And when they do, all it takes is a compassionate heart, a warm embrace and the energy that comes from unconditional love to bring us back to a place of normalcy (and in the plants case a lot of water!).
No one wants to journey alone in life without someone to take care of their heart, to nurture their soul and continually feed their spirit. With a little love and care, my wife was able to move her treasured house plants from one state to another – in fact I’m sitting here looking at them as I write this post. And every time I do I’m reminded of how plants aren’t the only things that need nurturing to survive.
For as Leo Buscaglia once said, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
