Who wouldn’t enjoy receiving a sunflower from a stranger? A simple act like that could put a smile on any face. That’s what Danny Wakefield thought when he decided to give a sunflower to a sad-looking woman in a coffee shop. But his simple act of kindness turned into something much larger than that…
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The significance of Danny’s act was twofold: First, when he handed that woman a sunflower, he had no idea that the woman had recently lost a loved one and that sunflowers held a significant meaning for her. The flower not only made her day, she took it as a beautiful, comforting sign. Second, Danny’s story became a movement! Danny shared the story of his interaction with the woman online, and so many people were moved that the #SunflowerChallenge was born.
Check out the story that started it all below:
Last night I bought a sunflower to put on the windshield of someone I’m smitten with. After some consideration I decided not to since we had only been on one date, the night previous. Don’t want to come off too strong, right? Anyway, I grabbed the flower on my way out this morning with the intention to give it to someone on my way to work so it didn’t die alone. What happened next has left me changed in ways I don’t even have words for yet.
While I was sitting and drinking my morning joe at the coffee shop (which I typically take to go), I saw a woman reading something with tears quietly and quickly sliding down her pale face. It was like there was a magnet in the sunflower that was being drawn to her, because I knew in that moment she was who I was going to give the sunflower to; she was who I had to give it to.
When I got to her table I said, “Hey, pardon me. I have this sunflower that I was hoping to give to someone special and that someone I had in mind didn’t work out, but I can feel that you’re special too, so I want you to have it.”
Before I could even hand her the sunflower, this complete stranger flew into my arms with tears flowing, and gratitude spewing, as if I was someone she once loved, and lost. It’s what she said next that I’m still trying to grip.
She was crying because her fiancé had died the week before, just months before they were going to get married. On their first date he brought her a sunflower and from then on, got her sunflowers, never roses, because she was the light of his life.
Today, through me, he was able to show her that she’ll always be the light of his life and how we as humans have a message to carry that goes far beyond words.
I’m shaken, awaken and feeling raw. You never know how much a simple gesture of giving someone a $5 flower will change their life, as well as yours. Life is about giving and being of service to others. I challenge you all to find a way to make someone else’s life just a little bit brighter today and be of service. You never know the impact you could have.
Please feel free to share this, and a little extra love.
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After Danny posted his story, more and more people took Danny’s words to heart and set out to share a sunflower and “a little extra love.” Their movement grew and grew, and eventually the video below was created to celebrate as part of “The Positive Movement,” borrowing the Danny’s idea from the sunflower challenge to brighten the lives of strangers in New York City. Check out the video below.
Share and start your own #SunflowerChallenge today!
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