A Posy to Share

She shyly enters the kitchen, hoping I'll notice. Her eyes are intent on the floor as her scuffed tennis shoes shuffle absently. This is my cue to set aside the dish towel and kneel in anticipation. The little hand violently thrusts a bouquet into my face. "Are these for me?" I ask. She nods, still without speaking. "They're beautiful, sweetie. Thank you so much!" I kiss the dear, dimpled cheeks and find great delight in receiving her offering. She breaks into a grin, pleased that her gift is a success.

As we search for the perfect vase, I can't help but notice that the posy is made mostly of weeds and that the hand encircling them is rather sticky. Does this make her gift any less precious? Of course not. If anything, it makes it that much more appealing: her only goal is to please me. She isn't distracted by convention.

I wonder if I'm able to give a gift like that. Can I impulsively share myself with someone? Or do I focus on perfecting my image and my gift, feeling that only then will it be acceptable? So many times I've missed opportunities to share, simply because I feel like my life has too many weeds. But wait a minute. Don't we all have sticky hands, chipped nail polish, and maybe a few dandelions here and there? And might it not actually be a relief to let some of those imperfections show? Maybe this week I'll follow Avery's example and gather a few posies to share. And if a weed shows? I'll just humbly stick it in a vase and smile.