I had scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and
headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the
narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about
sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited
for the boy to realize that I was there.
This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here." It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also
startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him,
waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise
exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your
name?" "My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he
responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was
Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she
slowly came over from the next aisle..
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let
the man pass by." I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for
several more minutes about summer, bicycles, and school.
I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because
he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly
turned and headed toward the toy section. Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked
me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that
most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to
him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said
something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God. She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she
asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion
but I sure love living in God's garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand, and said, "God bless
you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
May I suggest that the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece, or nephew.
What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
From an old dandelion!
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.
"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you
did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
The above story was sent to me by a friend and is so touching it deserves to be shared. Most people are so kind and so lovingly accept our "blue roses".
My own little "blue rose" (a grandson) was voted "most likely to be remembered" by his senior class.
Everywhere we went for miles around, people knew him and came up, smiling, to talk to him. He remembers ever single bit of it too! He was allowed to graduate with his class if we chose or attend school 2 more years. We let him decide and he chose graduating with the class he had gone to school with, though he was in a "special" class, he was always included in every activity and his picture in the cap and gown and the one at the prom are treasures indeed!!!
Be sweet and treat others as you would like to be treated!
