twinkie

I thought the message sent with this story was fantastic and wanted to share with my quilting family. It is a little long, but well worth our time. May we all spend a little time with the Blue Roses in our lives.

A Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.

"You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"

Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."

She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" ANON.

maryb119

Wow! It's a powerful message. Thanks for sharing it with us. I will pay more attention and look for a blue rose.

no1jan

That is beautiful and so true! My brother has Downes and he just lights up when people talk to him.

My father always said, if he wasn't born with Downes, he would have been a genius!

Thanks for sharing, people should realize that just because a person has mental or physical problems, they are people also. Remember just one accident and you may be in their shoes!

God Bless You!

pipp5

That was beautiful!

saf

Thank you for sharing.

CarrieAnne

Aw, very nice story! Thanks!

Patty Patches

[quote=maryb119]Wow! It's a powerful message. Thanks for sharing it with us. I will pay more attention and look for a blue rose.[/quote
Me too,Thank You

jrhboxers

I was delivering some donations to the local thrift store yesterday and decided to look around when I was done. The store is affiliated with a school for exceptional kids. It gives them the chance to work and be a part of a community. One of the boys was working yesterday and he brought out a sewing machine as I was shopping. I went over to look at the sewing machine and saw how painstakingly he was working on getting it set out 'just right'. I showed him how to lift the ledge, pull the machine up, set the ledge down and set the machine down on it. He was so excited to learn something new. He reached out to shake my hand and asked my name. He told me that his name was Benjemin John but his friends called him Benji. I told him my name and he gave me a hug. He then told me that he needed to get back to work, because there was a lot to do. The supervisor of the store came over and thanked me for talking to him. She said that 90% of the people who shop here either talk down to the employees or just ignore them.

When I was in college, I was training to be a special education teacher. My dream was to open a daycare for special needs children. But life got in the way with marriage and kids. Maybe someday I will go back and finish those last 12 credits. Someday.

QuiltnNan

Jane, go get those credits! Don't wait until life is fading and regret that you didn't complete your dream. You are obviously a special person and would be good for this type of work.

QuiltnNan

to All of us... remember that not all the blue roses are obvious to us. that is why it is best to take time for all of the flowers of the garden. you just never know who will fondly remember your kindnesses.