With great curiosity, I reread the headline:
Chinese company sending mysterious unsolicited shipments of seeds to Americans. Government warns: Do not plant seeds from unknown origins.
Chinese conspiracies ran rampantly through my mind.
Another virus foisted upon American shores.
However my memory bank seemed to recall the old unsolicited-shipments-of-seeds scam.
But for the life of me, I couldn’t remember how these crooks used the seeds to con honest people out of their money?
The very next day, my unsolicited shipments of seeds arrived.
Standing on edge of my lawn, right next to my garden, I ripped open the envelope.
I yanked out the letter and started to read.
Dear Sir or Madame,
Our goal is to put smiles on faces.
So during these trying times, we thought we could lighten your burden and brighten your day with a free gift for your garden.
A gift to help you navigate this pandemic with the beauty of flowers.
So please enjoy our complimentary varietal package of seeds.
We have named our seeds—Change, Hope, Love, Peace, Knowledge and Kindness.
I pulled my eyes off of letter and smiled, “Wow! Fruits of the spirit. I loved their simple approach. I loved their pitch. I loved the free package of inspirational seeds.
“But what’s the catch?”
I continued reading:
“Remember these seeds do need water, soil, sunlight and faith to take root and grow.
Fear not planting these seeds of change in your heart and in your garden.
They are only contaminated with love.
Cultivate our seeds of hope in your garden of desires—for without hope life is so mundane.
Spread our seeds of love with reckless abandon—knowing that your harvest will be bountiful.
Sow our seeds of peace for without peace life can be so weary.
Disseminate our seeds of knowledge–for teaching makes you immortal.
Scatter our seeds of kindness randomly across your fields—for many have planted seeds of hatred in your head and you did not allow them to germinate.
During these troubled times remember things won’t always be bad.
May your garden be blessed with an abundance of flowers and may you reap a harvest of joy.
Sincerely yours,
The Random Acts of Kindness Society
As I placed the letter back in the envelope, I thought, “No catch. No pleading for funds. Just a whole bunch of wisdom and love.”
I studied the artwork on the packet of seeds.
A plethora of rainbows, flowers, and butterflies adorned its cover.
I ripped open the packet, poured the seeds into my palm and rolled my fingers over them.
Throwing caution and the seeds into the wind, I watched them fly across on my garden.
Knowing that these seeds of change needed to be shared.
