Hello, my name is Violet. I am here today to tell you my story. But flowers can’t talk you say…I beg to differ. Think of the peace you see and feel when you see a group of us together gently moving in the breeze, we are speaking to you from our beauty. Or think of those who are very fragrant and our scent is wafting lightly in the air. It makes you smile and you close your eyes in enjoyment. See, we may not use words but we speak loudly…quietly. I know It confusing. But I want to tell you my story, well mine and my two friends. Our caretaker had us in her office. Well, it really wasn’t and office. It was a space underneath a mezzanine in a plant where huge injection molding machines worked. It was smelly, hot and kind of difficult to live in but we managed to do well and continued to bloom…until that day. It was a bad day, a Saturday, a day where my caretaker did have to come to work. A day where she was not able to protect us. A sad scary day.

It started like any other day. Things were humming along as usual until all of a sudden there a loud pop, then gurgling whooshing sound and the next thing you know, all three of us are covered in hydraulic fluid. This is not a substance we are known to be able to grow in. The walls outside the mezzanine were covered and it dripped down everywhere like thick melting goo. It covered floor, other machines, desktops, computers…and us. And it was very warm. We knew were were going to die.

On Monday when our caretaker came in, she immediately went into action. She knew we would probably die but she was at least going to give us a fighting chance. She washed us in Dawn. I had heard that it was safe on animals and many have been saved from oil slicks but we are plants…and violets, very sensitive plants. She gently washed all of the dirt and oil away from us where we were naked for the whole world to see. It was so embarrassing. But she then replanted us in fresh new potting soil and took us home to recuperate. And all three of us survived. Last year one of us got sick when the heater went out. His already weakened system could not tolerate the cold and we lost him. But now as you can see, I am back to blooming. My other friend has not bloomed yet but his leaves are bright green and full so blooms are not far behind.

I just wanted to share my story to let you know the value of kindness, even in a situation where all may seem lost. Good can still come out of a kind try, so always be kind.