Virgil’s Garden

Virgil’s Garden

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Virgil’s flower garden was once tucked into the triangle intersection of the three walking trails winding through my neighborhood. Technically city property, it’s a roundish mound that he filled with annuals each summer. In my children’s early years, it became a favorite place for us to pause and spy the hundred tiny creatures peeking through the blooms, half burrowed beneath the leaves. One summer it was lizards. Another it was frogs. There was always something to notice for those of us who cared to look closer, and my children were enchanted with pointing out the colorful little creatures.

Virgil’s garden is gone now, becoming neglected when he moved into a nearby assisted living facility after his wife died. His backyard, which bumps up against the walking trail, now belongs to someone who doesn’t want to expend the extensive time and effort Virgil poured into that little pile of city-owned dirt. As I talked to a neighbor who lives closer to Virgil’s garden than we do, I learned that Virgil had befriended her children, bringing them freezies and ice-cream sandwiches across their backyards. He found joy in bringing delight to others—friends and strangers alike—even as his own circumstances were impossibly hard. His generosity brought blessing to those around him, and in doing so, he found himself blessed.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Virgil this fall. He and I never met, but he built a friendly corner and a sense of community with his garden—and the remaining neighbors keenly feel the loss of it. His generosity with his time, money, and talent had ripple effects that reached a young mother and her children, giving them the gift of a fun distraction and happy memories. I wonder in what ways I could be more generous in building community in my own neighborhood, creating a space for others to belong, to feel welcome, to build happy memories.

— Julie

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Find ways to use your temporary currencies of time, money, and talent to bring community, friendship, and joy to those around you.