Find ways to spread joy
I was sitting on my front step one morning in July, enjoying a good cup of coffee before the day began. I love to sit outside at that time of year because the lavender is in full bloom.
I have close to 80 lavender plants and they bring me so much joy. The purple wave that is my front yard makes passersby stop to chat about it and to enjoy the scent wafting out on the air.
As I sat and contemplated life and lavender, I wondered what I could do to make the world a better place, like so many are doing these days. Some are raising money for charities, some are helping the homeless and then there is Landyn Toney, who walked nearly 200 kilometres in early July to raise awareness for the Indigenous children who died in residential schools and the survivors.
I thought of the friends and neighbours who brought food, flowers and good wishes when I was laid up with my crushed elbow. As I thought about all these things, I wondered what I could do to spread a little joy in my corner of the world.
I thought of how most people love lavender, but have a hard time growing it. They can’t get their hands on a big bunch of lavender; it’s expensive and not that easy to find, unless they go to a lavender farm.
Before taking the last slurp of coffee, I decided to give away bouquets of lavender. It was at its prime that sunny day — perfect for picking. Putting down my now empty cup, I started cutting lavender and attaching each bundle with an elastic. Some bouquets went to neighbours, some to my knitting group and others went to passersby who stopped to chat.
When anyone came to visit or when I went out into the world, I gave people lavender bouquets. Not surprisingly, that made me feel good. The joy is certainly in the giving. Seeing the delight on people’s faces as they breathed in the intoxicating fragrance and marvelling at the unexpected gift was priceless. I think I spread a little joy on that week in July.
Most of my lavender recipients wanted to dry it for a long-lasting pleasure. I told them to hang the bouquet upside down in a place with a little air movement and out of direct sunlight for a couple of weeks. Then they could use the dried bouquet to either make a sachet or as a decoration in their homes.
I mentioned that in some places in Europe, they have a bowl of dried lavender at the door for visitors to place their hands in. This is hand sanitizing at its finest.
Do you have a way to spread joy in your corner of the world? Maybe you can make some of your famous fudge to share or a bumper crop of tomatoes. Perhaps visiting a neighbour who’s going through a difficult time is more your style. Whatever you do, you’ll be making other people happy.
A native of Newfoundland, Christine Faour lives in Coldbrook, N.S., with Dave and their cat, Bashu. After a lifetime spent teaching and raising a family, she has retired. She has a book, Eat Where You Are: A Memoir in Recipes, and a blog at www.anourishedlife.ca.