Thought some of you might enjoy this...

This was in an email from my mother in-law so sorry about the > things. It's a cute story, I don't usually post stuff like this here so if it's not ok someone let me know... Casey The Daffodil Principle > > Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come > see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a > two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday", > I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. > > Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove > there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted > my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is > invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except > you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another > inch!" > > My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." > > "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm > heading for home!" I assured her. > > "I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car" > > "How far will we have to drive?" > > "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this. > > After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the > way to the garage!" > > "We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the > daffodils." > > "Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." > > "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you > miss this experience." > > After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road, and I saw > a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign > that read, "Daffodil Garden." > > We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn > down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and > gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. I looked as though someone > had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak > and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns-great > ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, > saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as > a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own > unique hue. There were five acres of flowers > > "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. > > "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. > That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house that > looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to > the house On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know > You are Asking" was the headline. > > The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. > > The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, > and very little brain." > > The third answer was, "Began in 1958." > > There it was, The Daffodil Principle. > > For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this > woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had > begun-one bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an > obscure mountaintop. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after > year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the > world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable > (indescribable) magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. > > The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles > of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires > one step at a time--often just one baby-step at a time--and learning to > love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply > tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will > find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world. > > "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have > accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal 35 or 40 years ago and > had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just > think what I might have been able to achieve!" > > My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. > "Start tomorrow," she said. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours > of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead > of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?" > > So, stop waiting... > > Until your car or home is paid off > > Until you get a new car or home > > Until your kids leave the house > > Until you go back to school > > Until you finish school > > Until you lose 10 lbs. > > Until you gain 10 lbs. > > Until you get married > > Until you get a divorce > > Until you have kids > > Until you retire > > Until summer > > Until spring > Until winter > > Until fall > > Until you die > > There is no better time than right now to be happy.

I LOVE THIS!!!!! Would you mind emailing it to me personally so I can pass it on? [email protected] IT WAS WONDERFUL THANKS! Val

I really enjoyed this! Even with the > through it.