My Little Patch of Happiness.

As I sit here and look out my window, I see my little patch of happiness. The gladioli in my little patch of garden are blooming once again.

They are my pride, my joy, and my happiness.

As I admire their colorful blooms , I can't help but reflect on our journey together.

There is an interesting story behind these flowers.

I planted these gladioli bulbs during the pandemic, in 2020.

In the beginning, it seemed as though everyone around me had discovered a new hobby. People were baking bread, gardening, knitting, painting, and learning new skills. I, however, wasn't particularly interested in any of those things. To be honest, I don't have much of a green thumb. In the past, I had planted a few things, only to watch them slowly wither away.

So, this time, I wasn't expecting much.

I found these bulbs on sale at a local home and garden store and decided to plant them as an experiment, almost as a challenge to myself. I planted them in mid-April and then completely forgot about them.

Then, to my surprise—and everyone else's—they thrived.

In the early days of July, they began blooming one after another in beautiful shades of pink, yellow, orange, and red. Watching those colorful flowers take over my yard felt like therapy. It was happiness at its purest, an indescribable feeling of accomplishment. 

  

They brought hope.

They boosted my self-confidence and my sense of self-worth beyond measure.

I had actually planted something, and it had not only survived, but it had grown, bloomed, and multiplied.

These beautiful flowers became a source of immense joy during the chaos and uncertainty of those months. I had planted only a few bulbs, not knowing what would become of them, and now they had multiplied beyond my imagination.

This is their fourth year of blooming. 

                         

During that first season, I wasn't able to share them with anyone because of social distancing restrictions. I admired them mostly from my window and captured their beauty in photographs.

But now that life has returned to some semblance of normalcy, I have begun sharing them—with friends, neighbors, and anyone who needs a little bit of joy.

This year, I shared bouquets from my garden with my local gym several times. Every time I walked in and heard other members notice them at the front desk and compliment their beauty, my eyes filled with tears and my heart swelled with pride.

 

These flowers are more than just flowers to me.

They are symbols of hope and happiness.

They brought me inner peace and what we call in my native tongue, sukoon—a deep sense of solace and tranquility.

The pandemic is officially over now. The chaos and uncertainty are behind us. Life has, for the most part, returned to its usual rhythm.

Yet here I am, left with these beautiful remnants of that difficult time.

Although these gladioli were born out of chaos, they have become part of my fondest memories. They are a reminder that even in our darkest and most uncertain seasons, something beautiful can grow.

They are a reminder of resilience.

A reminder that we, too, bloomed.

And every summer, as they return and paint my little patch of garden with color, they remind me of our journey together.

I am curious to know—how did you navigate those chaotic times? Did you pick up a new hobby, start a new habit, or discover something unexpected about yourself? Have you kept up with it?

These are my ramblings on this Friday—my pandemic story, told through a patch of blooming gladioli.

Many of us discovered something new during the pandemic—a hobby, a habit, or even a new version of ourselves. What is one thing from those uncertain days that has stayed with you?I would love to hear it.