TINY TUESDAY - DISAPPOINTED OF SWINDON

On Christmas Eve, several parcels arrived - two from Amazon and one from Thompson & Morgan, so I was very excited!  The two from Amazon were left under the tree to be opened the following day, but I guessed, by the shape, that the one from T & M was a plant, so thought I’d better open it.  It was a gift for my birthday from friends we were due to visit that evening, so I was anxious to open it so that I could thank them.

The package was carefully marked “This Way Up” and was quite tall and thin, but sadly the packaging was quite damaged, so it was with some trepidation that I pulled the sticky tape off the top.  I could see little stalks sticking out from a stem, which at the time I thought was unusual, but when I pulled the plant right out, was very disappointed to see that there were lots of tiny buds lying on top of the soil in the pot.

The plant was a Dendrobium orchid and when I counted up there were 30 buds that had fallen or been shaken off, with only about 8 remaining on the plant - so disappointing and so sad to think that none of these tiny buds will ever reach their full potential.

There was a card in with the plant saying that T & M wanted to ensure 100% customer satisfaction, and giving a number to ring if I wasn’t satisfied.  I duly rang - but only got a voicemail message, as it was now mid afternoon on Christmas Eve.  

I rang them again yesterday to be told they had had lots of complaints and didn’t have any more of the plants in stock - so they would have to refund the money onto my friend’s card, as she had obviously paid for it.

So here are the little buds - at least they have had their moment of fame on Blip, but I need to see if I can nurture the ones still left so that hopefully they will bloom beautifully and then I can blip them.

It made me think of all the ways we can bloom in our lives - we can be kind, compassionate, friendly, helpful, patient, considerate and supportive or we can be none of these and just wither and die.  I know what I would rather be.  

“Some buds never flower.
If we are fortunate enough 
     to bloom,
          we should do so
               with all the enthusiasm 
                    and vigour
we can muster.”
Vanessa Lee Thomas

Tomorrow is my 3rd Blip Birthday, without missing a single day, but sadly the future of Blip is in doubt unless WE can save it.  Please have a look here :  https://www.blipfuture.com/invest  and see if you can help in any way.