Earlier this week, I had lunch with a young friend. He was active in my youth group when he was growing up, and from time to time we get together for some good food and conversation.
On this particular day, John wanted to do some shopping at Trader Joe’s when we were done with lunch, and, since it’s one of my favorite stores, I was happy to join him.
If you’re familiar with Trader Joe’s, you know that there are always buckets of flowers near their front doors, all available for purchase. As we walked in, I was drawn to the little bundles of daffodils, none of which had opened up yet. The price was only $1.39 per bundle, and I couldn’t resist. As I put them into the basket, I read the little tag which held them all together. The tag told me that these daffodils came all the way from Ireland. Amazing.
How could they sell them so cheaply? Daffodils are pretty tender plants, and I wondered how they could get them here with little or no damage, ready to bloom as soon as I got them home.
Several years ago, my mom, sister and one of my brothers travelled to Ireland during the spring. They came back to tell us about all the daffodils they had seen. The next fall, they planted more than a few around my mom’s house, hoping to recapture the memory.
The daffodils I picked up at Trader Joe’s a few days ago are fully open now, and as I looked at them this morning, I was reminded of all those that sit beneath the frozen soil in my yard.
I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for spring. It can’t come soon enough it you ask me. It’s nice to know that, with little expense and effort, I can get a sneak peek at what’s to come, all thanks to an Irish daffodil farmer an ocean away from me. How do you say thanks very much in Gaelic?
photo credit
