This Small Floral Business Went Above and Beyond for a Customer
Updated April 30 2020, 12:45 p.m. ET
There are plenty of people proving during this crisis that it's not wrong to have faith in humanity, that people step up for each other when there's a need. We've seen countless stories of people helping out neighbors and strangers who are in more vulnerable positions than them.
And this one is no exception. Author Maureen Johnson recently went viral for her Twitter thread describing such a heartwarming interaction her mother had with a local flower store.
Her mother had ordered some flowers from a local store, and they were to be delivered to her door. When the delivery person arrived, they brought the flowers, but that wasn't all.
When I first read this tweet, I was concerned that maybe it would be something bad?? I don't know why. I think I've become cynical about people in the past few years. Luckily, though, it wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was just about the nicest thing, and it restored a lot of my faith in people.
Maureen's mother had mentioned when she was on the phone with the flower store that she promised her daughter she wouldn't go out . They noticed that and thought she might be in need of some food.
So not only did they buy her bags and bags of groceries, but they also brought several hot meals for her. All because she mentioned that she wasn't leaving the house. If you're emotional about this, that's because you have a heart.
In subsequent tweets, Maureen clarifies that her parents have plenty of food. She's set up a weekly grocery delivery for them and they weren't in need. But the flower store didn't know that. They thought Maureen's mother might need some food, so they brought some to her, no questions asked, no expectation of anything in return.
"This is a roadside plant and garden shop," Maureen wrote. "They brought hot meals from one source and then went to the grocery store and bought food with their own money. They possibly spent more on the food than my mom did on the plants."
"And they refused — REFUSED — payment for it," Maureen continued. "So I would like to shout out this business to the rooftops..." She then linked to the Bucks County, Pennsylvania located business, Castle's Garden, Lawn, and Landscape, and encouraged anyone in the area to patronize their store.
I'm not crying; you're crying! OK, we're all crying. It's just so wonderful. They didn't care that she'd had food. They just wanted to do something nice for their customer. They truly went above and beyond.
And they're not the only ones. Businesses everywhere are stepping up to help people get through this tough time. Many restaurants are offering groceries along with their regular menu and are using their time to cook and provide food for frontline workers.
Nothing Bundt Cakes is just one of the business baking cakes and providing sweet treats for hospital workers in order to keep their spirits up and show their appreciation for all the sacrifices they are making.
And many other businesses are doing other little things to bring smiles to people's faces during this dark time. Hank's, a local bagel shop in Burbank, CA, got a request for a delivery that might have been a joke. But they took it very seriously.
What was Trevor supposed to do, not wear a full Buzz Lightyear costume to make this delivery? If it was going to make their customer happy, they were going to do it. And they did.
The Buzz Lightyear costume actually works as an effective protective mask, so maybe this will become a regular part of the delivery routine? Just a suggestion. There are so many people out there trying to brighten people's days and make sure they're OK and bring smiles to faces, and that is no small thing.