Spreading Happiness with Flowers

Unexpectedly, Monday mornings became my favorite day of the week this past summer.

I started my week seeing smiles as I delivered repurposed wedding flowers to the Jan Bishop Cancer Center in Steamboat Springs. It was truly a gift to see everyone smile as I placed flowers on desks and beside patients.

For the last couple of years, I have always mourned the waste of wedding flowers. Weddings require a lot of beautiful flowers that are typically only used for one day. It's sad to think of these bundles of joy being thrown away after only one day of use. I love flowers and I was determined to figure out a way to reuse them. One of my very good friends, Terri Chapman, works as a nurse at the infusion center so I asked her if by any chance she thought her patients would like the flowers. Terri answered with a resounding YES!

Most Saturdays, I returned home at midnight with more flowers than you can imagine. Tired, but determined to keep the flowers alive, I put all the flowers in water before collapsing in bed. Sunday mornings, my daughter and I would sort through the flowers and create new arrangements to bring to the infusion center. Jade loved arranging the flowers - I think I have a florist in the making! Whenever possible, I would take Jade with me to the infusion center on Mondays to deliver the flowers and spread some happiness and joy.

Now that wedding season is over, I miss my Monday morning visits to the infusion center. It was truly a gift to be able to spread some joy and happiness to people who really need it. I can't wait until wedding season begins again - you know where I will be on Monday mornings!

I was going to the end the post there, but I wouldn't be telling the whole story and I want to be honest ad truthful. Cancer has always been a big part of my life - my mother died from uterine cancer at the age of 38 and a couple of my very good friends are all breast cancer survivors. In addition, I was recently diagnosed with Lynch Syndrome - a gene mutation that puts me a high risk for an array of cancers at an early age (primarily colon cancer and all stomach cancers). I have watched people I love go through chemotherapy and it isn't fun. It's tough. And heart breaking. And hard. So if I can bring someone a little joy, then my day just got a little better. If you want to read more about my story and Lynch Syndrome, then please take five minutes to read this article written by the local hospital. A huge thank you to Lindsey Reznicek for writing this article and for the photos in this post.