Today, we are privileged to have a guest post from Brenda Patnaude, who writes:
On a random Saturday as I drove home from an appointment, I spotted a nursery with some great fall plants advertised out front. Suddenly remembering fall planting on my to-do list, I decided to put on the brakes to go in and take a look. Looking back at this simple decision, I can’t help but chuckle at how and where you can encounter some of the most memorable life lessons.
As I meandered around the plants, a boy in an employee shirt caught up to me and asked if he could help me find anything. Was there a particular plant I was looking for? What was I looking to do? My immediate thought was how could this kid help me? He’s 10 years old at best… What could he really know about plants? However, he was eager (and cute) so I took him up on his offer and shared what I needed….not expecting much. What happened next I’ll never forget.
The boy proceeded to lead me through a number of options, sharing everything he knew about each plant off of the top of his head from type of light, to soil they do well in, to how each plant grows, spreads and sows. He also would add in from time to time “I have these at home and….” share his personal experience. I was blown away. I restrained the desire to wrap him up in a bow and take him home with me to be my forever gardener friend. But that wasn’t all.
The best part of the story came when I checked out. I made another assumption that he was there simply because he was the owner’s or a worker’s son. As I found out while commenting on how helpful and knowledgeable he was to the checkout lady, I found out he was not related to anyone there at all. He just loved plants and gardening. His parents recognized this passion and struck a deal with the owner of the nursery: his dad drops him off on Saturday mornings to spend a few hours helping so he can be around the plants he loves and help customers like me. At the end of his volunteer workday, his payment is to pick out his own plant to take home to his garden.
The moral of this story? There could be a few…. My takeaway was proof that even the smallest assumption or judgment on someone’s ability or aspiration can be completely and utterly wrong. However, if you are open – truly open – to listening and experiencing someone else’s gifts, you will uncover a marvel. As leaders, colleagues, supervisors, and peers it is critical to embed into our daily thoughts, work and actions that all of us have abilities and knowledge that any outside impression cannot accurately capture. The people around you are brilliant; full of knowledge and very capable of working through any blocks that may come into view as they trudge toward their project deadline, deliverable or career goal. They just need to know that you believe in them and that when they need you, you’ll be there to help them to find the solution that is already within them for how to get through it.
Oh, and by the way: snapdragons are really great, easy fall flowers that bloom well after the first frost 😉 Thanks kid….
