Gifts

Sitting on my lounge chair, flipping over yet another Hiragana flashcard, wondering what makes my brain so darn lousy at rote memorization – a beautiful flower drops in my lap. It was the Tropical Plumeria Flower, in some cultures it is a symbol of life, and the sign of Spring.

Earlier that morning, Wrenn and I were walking the grounds of the resort and commented on the heady fragrance that kept enticing our noses and like the sphinx moths that are drawn to the smell of the plumeria flower, we kept searching. We finally realized the creamy white flowers hanging above us and the carpet of fallen blossoms at our feet were the source. The fragrance is lovely, something you wish you could just bury yourself in. After enjoying the moment, we both moved on … Wrenn to her selected activity of the moment (rock climbing?, windsurfing?, going down the slide for the 100^th time?) and I to my station under the huge umbrella with my Japanese flashcards in hand.

Hours later a gift drops in my lap. A simple gift, free even, but the gesture from my daughter brought me back to the moment. Forget the Hiragana she seemed to be saying, enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Wrenn’s simple act of kindness, by picking up a fallen flower and giving it to me “because I knew you liked the way it smelled” was a moment I’ll treasure from our vacation. And my daughter reminded me that even small acts of kindness can bring huge amounts of joy. Inspiring.