May I recommend a Happy Therapy for you? You can’t feel anxious, sad, or overwhelmed when you have 3 bags of beautiful bouquets to pass out to random groups of strangers!
I just received this email – wow, wonder if this little project can grow!
Patricia,
I would like to learn how to start the flower project here in the small town I
live in. I am disabled but still have time to give and can drive and do things.
I love to get out and would love to make someone smile. I am terminal and was told I had a year to live but that was 8 years ago and I feel just fine. And if I can get this started I am sure I could get someone to continue doing it if something happened to me. Thank you for your time.
28 bouquets to WAWA customers and employees
I think my focus is changing. I am not going to primarily take the bouquets to seniors. I am having so much fun just taking them wherever my heart leads me. To people in a restaurant, along the street, at a train station, at WAWA or Starbucks. It seems that the surprise of flowers – just putting smiles on strangers’ faces anywhere at all – is what the flowers are supposed to do. Random acts of flowering! Oh such fun.
A Talk I am Giving at my Church on February 16
When I am not being the Flower Lady, I give talks on a variety of topics.
Being You – A Job Worth Keeping!
Patricia Gallagher spends a lot of time trying to be herself – her true self. Pressures seem to swirl around from others telling her what they think she ought to do, should have done, and needs to do. She discovered five simple things to do that wash all of those “bossy voices” right out of her head. She made a commitment to be true to herself which is a full-time job and a job worth keeping. In this humorous and upbeat inspirational program, Trisha shares why she thanks her lucky stars every day that she is exactly the way she is. Guaranteed to have you whistling the Pinocchio classic sung by Jiminy Cricket, When You Wish Upon a Star. And you will be thanking your lucky stars too for the unique talents, abilities, and gifts – that make YOU perfect just the way you are.
Today I took the flowers to Jiffy Lube. Yes, the place that changes your oil.
It was a little slippery out on the roads today. I just picked up 25 bouquets and went to Jiffy Lube to get my oil changed. Perfect place to offer flowers to the manager, to the people in the waiting area, and to five young men working in the service bay.
Oh, my daughters will love these flowers. Thank you so much.
OMG, you are going to make me popular with the ladies. I have a few girlfriends and they will love these.
I am going to give these to my mom.
Thank you so much. We can take them to our aunt now. She will love these.
So everybody got three bouquets and then the young man with all of the girlfriends got the bag with the remaining flowers.
If you leave the rest with me, I can pass them out to the customers who come through here today.
You see, you cannot plan Flower deliveries. Random acts of flowering just seem to happen.
16 bags of flowers going to waste – Snow Day!
I feel so bad about wasting the flowers today. I had a group of people expecting the flowers at 2pm today in East Norriton. The weather is bad so I don’t want to take a chance and go out on the roads. I just called everybody to cancel flower deliveries for today.
Each store had quite a bounty today. Eight bags each with about 15 bouquets in each bag. Last night, I took 20 bouquets to friends at a Super Bowl party.
Flowers bring happy feelings to the heart! To mine and others.
What happens when you randomly walk into a nursing home and give flowers to the employees and visitors? For no special reason, just because…….just because Trader Joe’s donates lots of beautiful petals and blooms to me every day…..and I get to share them with random people every day. Oh, it is so life-filling!
Just “flower wandering” around streets of Philadelphia on Friday afternoon!
Sharing flowers, it is as simple as that.
The saddest letter I have ever received – Team of Angels
When a tragedy happens, from the Columbine School in 1999, up until the present time, I send a box of my Team of Angels pins to the families affected. Both to the victims’ families and well as to the parents of the person who committed the act – whose crime changed so many lives forever. About a year and a half ago, one of the saddest shootings occurred in a movie theater – 12 people were killed, by a man who was very sick. He had no known criminal record prior to the shooting He was very educated but something snapped. He survived. I just received this letter from his heartbroken mother. I always think of the saying There but for the grace of God go I.
How does she even get out of bed in the morning? How does she go on? Prayers for the anguished mother, please. Prayers for his family and all of the others.
Why did God give that terrible cross to her family?
Dear Patricia,
You sent a Team of Angels to me in my time of need. In fact, you sent several. I want you to know how much it meant to me to have the bookmarks and the pins. I have passed along the last one but I keep the message in my heart. I will be facing more tragedy forever. I am the mother of ? who will someday go on trial. (I want to respect her privacy so do not want to put her or his
name here.)
“It was a delight to watch the residents with their bouquets.”
Dear Patricia,
Thank you very much for spreading your cheer and kindness with our residents here at Neshaminy Manor. The flowers brought such joy; it was a delight to watch the residents with their bouquets. It was a wonderful event and we are most grateful.
My friends Bill and Maureen helped me that day.
From the staff of Neshaminy Manor in Doylestown
He took 2 bouquets. I asked if he wanted the whole bag.
I have never felt this way – why couldn’t I get out of my car to bring in the flowers?
I wanted to pick up the donated flowers. I got a late start – and finally picked them up at 3 pm. Then, I drove to Norristown with a place in mind to deliver them. I had a time constraint. I had to be back home by 4:30 pm. It was cold, slushy and gloomy.
I know days like that are probably gloomy for the people in nursing homes too. But today, I just did not have the energy or spirit to go in and cheer someone up. I think I needed cheering up myself. With my mother in hospice care at home…….well, I know you understand my sadness.
I looked at the AM PM Mini-Mart – at the young man walking though the door. I asked if he wanted some flowers for his house. People are always shocked when I tell them that I am not selling them. I tell them that it is HAPPY FLOWER DAY – an occasion that only I know about because I made it up!
Wow, yes. They will really make my house smell good.
He took three bouquets. I asked if he wanted the whole bag.
Then I walked towards the people at the counter and asked the same question. Bag number 2 went there.
“We can pass them out to our customers tonight.”
As I drove down Route 202, I stopped in to the $1.99 dry cleaning place. Two of the employees were wearing my Team of Angels pins.
I passed the gorgeous flowers out to a customer and left the remaining 15 bouquets with the gals at the counter. I saw them excitedly going through the bag as I left the store.
I just couldn’t visit a care facility today. I think I was led to other people who needed flowers.
As I think about some of the comments that I have heard this week, I have no doubt that the flowers reach the people who really need a sign of comfort.
My daughter passed away. I have been asking for a sign. She always loved pink roses and look what you gave me.
Are you The Flower Lady? Someone gave my mother flowers at Lafayette Redeemer. Was that you?
My husband doesn’t recognize me anymore when I go to visit him. I was feeling so bad. I am going to go home and put these in a pretty vase.
As I pulled into my driveway, I glanced to the back of my car. I saw 7 bouquets of tiny red, pink, yellow and peach-colored roses, laying in a white bag on the floor of my car. I put them in little red containers on my mother’s coffee table. I was so happy that she said, “They are so pretty.”
Yep, I am sure, the right people got the flowers today.
Took them to Cracker Barrel Restaurant
To a church and then to Mother Teresa’s Homeless Shelter
It was just a random thought to take the flowers to a trash collection company where they dispatch all of the big trucks that do the work that most people would not want to do. Collect trash in all kinds of weather, hanging and jumping from the side of a truck all day. Not a lot of fun or prestige. I first thought of it last week, when I was passing out flowers in a medium-size city. I was passing the flowers out at a Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s restaurant and to people walking and going about their business. When I offered a bouquet to a young man, he declined politely. “I am on work-release and going back to jail now.”
So I took my flowers and went in search of the place that hires people who may have difficulty finding employment. The man that I spoke to at the trash company was not the warm and fuzzy type, although polite to me. “I don’t know about this idea. Maybe you could take them to our corporate office.” I really wanted to give them to the men on the street – maybe the flowers would just do “something” for their spirit that day.
I drove a short distance and saw a church which operated a day care center. I walked in with 40 bouquets. The outreach minister was thrilled to have them and planned to give them to the parents and the teachers in the child care center.
I saw the Mother Teresa homeless shelter. Rang the doorbell and left 20 little plants.
And then I called it a day. I still want to give them to the men who collect our trash. Anonymously. Not give my name. Nor a business card. Just a message like “Please let the fellows know that the community appreciates the hard work that they do…….and that I wish them all of the best as they move forward in their lives.” (I really want to add “Everybody makes mistakes. I know that everybody has a story behind how they ended up in jail. Sometimes those early years were not like the Ozzie and Harriet and Leave It to Beaver shows. My prayers and thoughts are with all of you. The flowers are a symbol that you are beautiful inside and no one is all good or all bad.”
My recipe for happiness: surprising people at train station with flowers
Today, I took about 40 bouquets to a nursing home in Lansdale. The Director of Nursing and I went up and down the halls and in and out of rooms giving flowers to ladies with names like Elsie, Tess, Ruth, Gertrude, Sadie and Esther. And to Arthur who wanted to take one to his girlfriend who lived there too.
Oh my goodness, roses. They are so good for my heart right now. I always lived in woodsy areas so I never had pretty garden flowers like these.
I can’t hear you. What did you say? Who are these flowers from?
I remember crystal clear when my husband gave me flowers. Right before he went off on a troop carrier to fight the war during the WW II big war.
Yes, this lady Patricia, has bags full of smiles for us today.
I try never to get my hopes up that anyone would bring me anything. My family doesn’t care about me. Most of them are gone anyway.
I reached to give flowers to a lady in a wheelchair. She swatted at me. Another resident said, She is afraid of human contact.” I left the purple bunch on her lap.
I had 20 left. I looked around the town – a kind of gloomy day. I wondered who needed a surprise of flowers. There was an AA Clubhouse a block away (Alcoholics Anonymous). I thought about just leaving them there with a note – “Wishing you the best with your recovery – one day at a time.” (Or maybe one flower at a time.)
I noticed the train station. I saw a person walking along on the pavement, in the slush. I saw my first opportunity for a random act of flowering. He was dressed in a T-shirt and saggy sweat pants and appeared to be from another country. I love diversity and other cultures. I asked if he wanted a free bouquet. He said he was from Bangladesh. I told him Welcome to the USA. He walked away shaking his head – maybe thinking this crazy American lady.
Then, I went to the train station and passed them out to taxi drivers waiting for customers and to the passengers waiting for trains.
One young man said, “Wow, I am going to visit my great-grandmom at the Rock Hill Mennonite Community. I try to get there every other week. I am waiting for the bus here because the snow is piled high over at the bus stop.”
“Would you like to take a whole bag with you? I have about ten more bouquets in my car. There are probably ten people there who need a little cheer today.”
I gave him a hug and told him what a fine young man he was – going to all of the trouble to visit his great-grandmom. He smiled appreciatively.
And then, I looked behind me. I saw a stream of people carrying flowers in the parking lot, sitting on benches, and crossing the street.
The weather was cold and bleak today in Lansdale but the thought just came to me: “God, you picked the right gal for this volunteer job of being the Flower Lady.”
Flowering is good for me right now. My mother is in at-home hospice care with me right now. I am especially glad to have this project. It takes my mind off things at home.
So for my wonderful mother and for all of the loving people living in nursing homes…..who received the gifts of the thousands of flowers donated to me by Trader Joe’s – you have given me a purpose every morning. I have a reason to be upbeat, full of energy and love celebrating the goodness of people with a bouquet of flowers!
The Team of Angels need a new destination – free for your church, family, hospital, organization
Please click the link that I just posted on Craig’s List. I am giving away the last 4,000 of the 125,000 Team of Angels pins that I created in 1999. They are straight from heaven and contain love. Someone just told me that my Team of Angels are a symbol that sometimes your guardian angel does not travel alone. Travels in a Team of Angels!
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/com/4270626178.html
I just picked up this letter at my PO Box. I needed it today.
I just picked up this letter at my PO Box. I needed some encouragement, joy and a little bright spot in my day today. I guess that is the way most people feel occasionally.
Dear Patricia,
Attached please find a copy of the letter that I sent to my three friends after I met you at WAWA. I think it is self-explanatory. Thank you. Bonnie
Dear Friends,
I had an experience to share with each of you. When I was getting my lunch at WAWA, I noticed a lady across the store with a very interesting jacket. I felt compelled to tell her how much I liked it. She quietly thanked me and told me she got it at a thrift store. We smiled at each other and started to go out separate ways. Then, she stopped and came back to me to thank me for giving her a minute of joy, as her mother was in hospice care and she did not have many minutes of joy in her life right now.
All of a sudden, out of nowhere, my eyes welled up with tears and I blurted out that my best friend had passed away 3 weeks before. Before, I could stop her, she took off a “beautiful band of angels pin” and gave it to me. I can’t tell you the sense of calm and peace that came over me. She said that this pin is to keep as long as you need it and then to pass it on to someone else who needs it more than you do. And then she asked me to wait because she had some bookmarks in her car. She came back with three Team of Angels pins with three different bookmarks for different situations.
I thanked her, gave her a hug and walked out to my car and sat there and read all three poems on the bookmarks and thought of each of the three of you. I hope that these angels help each of you because remember sometimes one angel is not alone and one angel may not be enough!
Love,
Bonnie
What happens when you bring 30 bouquets into Starbucks?
I was meeting my friend Cass and I had three bags of ten flowers left. I looked around the café and thought it would be nice to surprise all of the folks that were visiting with friends, working intently on their laptops, people sitting conducting a business meeting and others. I asked the young woman behind the counter who was dressed festively and wearing reindeer antlers if I could pass out flowers.
I went from table to table saying Happy Flower Day. Then I remembered that I had orchids and little plants in the trunk of my car. I had already taken 100 to a senior center in Jenkintown.
Had so many flowers today, I had to fill my car twice.
I needed to save two bags of 20 for a place that was expecting me a little later in the afternoon – my prudent reserve. They were on the back seat. (They asked me to put them in the BINGO room.)
I made an announcement to the Starbucks customers I had more in the trunk of my white car and they were free for the taking.
Stop by my car, the one with the trunk open, parked in spot number 3 and take some extras to share with your friends and co-workers.
Oh, wow, today is my anniversary.
Today is my mother’s birthday.
Can I trade the ones that you gave me for the orange flowers? I was supposed to stop and buy orange flowers for a co-worker.
Thank you so much. You just really perked this place up.
Where are they from? Who are you?
And then a man brought me a large hot chocolate and said thanks. I said, “Do you work here?
I am the district manager. Let’s take a picture and I will Tweet it out!”
Wish I knew more about Twitter so I could tweet out some neat pictures.
When you pass flowers out at a restaurant…….
You can’t buy happiness. Some things are really priceless.
One lady told me, “Patricia, your flowers make me feel better than my pills.”
For mornings that you need a purpose. For mornings when you want to make a difference. For mornings when you want to have a natural high. Then say HELLO to delivering flowers to people who are lonely, sad, isolated, sick, discouraged and who may want to give up. Guaranteed, a beautiful morning for all! Try it, you’ll like it!
Four carts of flowers. Two or three bags of bright florals per cart. 10 to 20 flowers in each bag. At least 120 people were surprised today! Everybody looks good with flowers!
