Thursday, September 10, 2009

Thursday is a time...

To Be Thankful!

LS:

On a recent trip to the nursery, I spotted a scrawny looking plant, with barely a few leaves and no flowers, standing all alone at one corner.

When I asked the man, he was surprised that I would be interested. He said most people just walked past without a glance. They probably think that you can't revive a scrawny sick looking plant. But the plant was not sick, it was the only one unsold and then neglected. He told me it's a lovely plant with a lovely bloom. It's called Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow.

I bought it. Not because I have the greenest thumb and could revive the sickest plant. Quite the opposite actually LOL. Would you believe it if I said I felt sorry for the plant? Yes, on the way home I did wonder whether I was out of my mind for buying it. I'd probably drive the plant to an early grave LOL.

But the plant proved me wrong. With a little care and watering it gives me back some blooms and scent, only if I pay attention to it.

Such as it is with life too. A lesson I've learned many a times only to be reminded again. Don't judge a plant by its leaves!

Yesterday it was purple

Today it turns lilac

Tomorrow it becomes white


Everyday is a learning process, isn't it? I'm always thankful for the lessons and reminders. The article below was sent by a friend this morning and again it serves such a great reminder to me. Do read it if you have the time, if you haven't already read it before.

Washington, DC. Metro Station. On a cold January morning 2007.

The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes, a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule...

4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar; a woman threw the money in the hat, and without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:
The musician played continuosly. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, and continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organised by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised : In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognise talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made...How many other things are we missing?


To be a Thankful Dog on Thursday!


Happy:


I'm thankful that LS has learned that lesson. So now she lets me stop and sniff as long as she could (she's still learning) on our walks. I've been trying to teach her from the beginning but in the end it took a plant to teach her that. Better late than never, right?

What are you thankful for?

Note: Just in case you have the plant above and/or you didn't know, the plant is poisonous to dogs. So keep them safely away.



Click here for more on:

Thankful Thursday
Dogs on Thursday

33 comments:

Pia said...

your plant is so lovely. she must be so grateful you took her in and cared for her. as a sign of thank you she gave you a flower. teehee... seriously, i love plants. i have a few at home but only one bears flowers.

i read that story months back and made me think if i'm appreciative myself with things created by God, by talent given by God.

praising God along with you for the lessons and reminders that comes our way. God bless you... and happy too.

JLaine said...

wow! This is such a beautiful post..I read it till the end.. beautiful lessons to be learned.. I'm sure you didn't regret getting that amazing flower..it's the first time for me to know that there's a flower that changes its color everyday! And same thing with life, there is beauty beneath the things that may seem ordinary. Thanks for sharing!

Lalaine's World
From Asia and Beyond
Day to Day Miracles
Trying to be Fit
Not a Shopaholic

Nancie said...

So sweet of you to buy the plant and care for it. It's so beautiful! Love the lesson you shared with us and the article you shared. Great reminders! Take care and have a very thankful and blessed Thursday!

Denise said...

I love your beautiful plant, wish I had a green thumb. Unfortunately, my thumb is black, lol I love you both, big hugs.

Noah the Airedale said...

We love this post Happy. We know the plant will thrive living with you. That is an amazing story about the violinist. I wonder what my pinkies would have done.

Noah x

Bae Bae said...

What a beautiful plant. I'm glad you bought it

~ Bae

LAURIE said...

Wow...great story about the plant. Reminded me of the fact that many times what we "see" is not at all the potential that God "sees". Happy TT!

Deetz said...

Fantastic!!!!!!!!
You always brighten my days
Deetzy

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

What a beaWOOtiful plant and post!

I'm thankful fur all of the love I get - both from my furamily AND my blog furiends!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

Jerralea said...

Wonderful post! I'm so glad you noticed that flower! After reading your post, I'm wondering how many things I have not been noticing ...

becky aka theRAV said...

This was a great post! Thanks for doing it!

Fred said...

I am thankful that Old Girl let me lick the bowl of her ice cream sundae last night! Usually, I have "no people food," but I gave Old Girl sad eyes, and she totally fell for it!

Debbie Petras said...

How precious that you purchased that plant and nursed and worked with it to bloom so beautifully. And I loved reading that story too. What an experiment that was.

Gus, Louie and Callie said...

Oh you do have a green thumb. That plant is lovely now..
Joshua sure fooled those people..

Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie

Unknown said...

This is the coolest post.

Watching this plant change colors and reading your story of compassion and care.

I want to hug your neck. Neat... neat...

God bless and happy TT. BTW, I want to find one of those plants. neat.

Anonymous said...

What a thought-provoking post. I had not read the violin story before.
Your plant is beautiful.
Thanks for such a lovely post tonight.

Lorenza said...

The plant found a happy home! That what it needed!
That story is pawesome!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

parlance said...

That's a lovely post! The story of the violinist has a lot to tell us, doesn't it? It reminds me of an experiment a friend did for a class, where she was sent out to give away a small amount of money to passers-by (I think it was money). People shied away from her, assuming she was out to scam them.

Patience-please said...

Beautiful post. I LOVE the Joshua Bell story. We often don't see the beauty in our everyday lives.

all the best-
Patience

Molly the Airedale said...

What a beautiful flower, Happy! It's thriving because it found it's forever home at your house!

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

Peggy said...

Blessings LS...thanks for the plant lesson & warning! How very significant your TLC! WOW! and add that story of the violinist makes me want to cry & stop to take more time each day rather than rush by past the miraculous beauty of God & people! It's good along with the "Touch of the Mater's Hand" both your love for the plant, Happy and music! Beautiful appropriate name for this wonder that changes.

Love you to pieces & Happy...keep on loving on LS, be patient, as you stop & sniff, teach LS with love & patience...we all are so thankful for you both! You bring such Happy
ness to my day! love & licks ..paws to the King!

Dughallmor Beagles said...

Happy, we are thankful for blogs like yours, that lift our spirits on a sad, sad day, thankyou.
What a beautiful flower, it's thankful that your Mom saved it!
And a touching article too that we hadn't come across before, thankyou for sharing it.
Have a Happy weekend little friend :D
Slobbers xx

Mack said...

We have never ever heard of this beautiful plant before!

Thanks for the smile!

Ruby and Penny said...

Hi Happy
What a good lesson to learn. Thanks for sharing.
Love Ruby & Penny

Tracey said...

What a lovely plant - and a great name for it!

Unknown said...

Oh, Happy - I'm always thankful to you and your blog for reminding me (and more importantly, my humans!) about the important things in life!!

Slobbers,
Honey the Great Dane

JB's Big and Small Worlds said...

That is a beautiful plant and flower! And my mom does the same thing when she sees plants that need care. You did great!
I am thankful for my mom and my brothers and sister and that we have a wonderful forever home.
--JB

Deefor said...

I love that story. It reminds me of all the beautiful smelly things I find on my walkies and my mom thinks they're gross. She just has no appreciation of beauty when it's lying next to the dumpster.

Eric said...

Hello Happy. I'm late again. But thankful I had time to visit you, read the thought making story and seeing the lovely plant.Wow. A flower that changes colour ever day. How wonderful.

Wiry love and kisses Eric xx

Moco said...

Well worth reading.

Two Schnauzers from New England said...

Hi, Happy -

The plant is so pretty. We like all of the colors too.

The Joshua Bell story is a wake up call. The world is in too much of a hurry - we need to slow down a little. Mama keeps telling Kaci and I what lucky pups we are.

Love -

Hershey and Kaci

Chef said...

What an inspiring post, LS and Happy. Isn't is too bad that most people are just too busy and in too much of a rush to stop and enjoy life? Or to stop and notice a neglected plant? You always remind us about what is necessary in life!
Thanks you!!!!

xox
Chef

Linda said...

You lucky thing. I saw a bush once and wanted one after that.