"You know what enters the room when you do?" I asked my 14-year-old, Indy, and she shook her head.
"SUNSHINE," I said. "That's what I feel when you come into a room."
Indy grinned so big that the light from it reached her eyes. "You're feeling good?" she asked, and when I nodded, her excitement surprised me.
"Whatcha wanna do?" I sounded so much like myself before this whole ordeal with cancer started.
"Go to the coffee shop?" She smiled big as if she'd been waiting for a day like this for her whole life. "A boy from school works there, and he said…" She looked down at her feet. "You know, we're just friends, but he said he'd buy me a sandwich if I came to see him at work."
"Sounds great," I said, "but there's a catch."
"Anything," she said, surprising me again. "As long as it's just the two of us."
I grabbed my purse and pulled a tiny sack from it.
"What are those?" she asked, coming closer.
"Well, they've become kind of magical because they bring happiness." Then I dumped the contents into her hand, and her eyes lit with wonder. For just a moment, I forgot that she's 14, and it seemed that a tiny six-year-old sat in front of me, wondering over fireflies again. "They're magnets," I said as her eyes took in every detail.
"All different kinds of flowers…" She flipped each one over. "Ladybugs. Mushrooms—with faces. And turtles." She actually giggled at that point. "The turtles are so cute!"
"Think hard," I finally said after she'd looked at each one, "and pick the one you think would be the very best for today."
"You give these to people?" she asked.
"When I feel like I should." I smiled at my precious girl.
She took a while, almost picking a turtle at one point, then selected a sunflower. "This one. I'm not sure why, but I pick this one."
"While we're out today, I want you to find someone who seems like they might need a smile. You'll think of something good about them and actually tell them before giving them the sunflower. You up for it?"
"A stranger?" Her eyes had grown wider. "Mama, I don't know if I can do that."
"I understand if it's too scary. But just promise you'll try?"
"Yeah, sure! It sounds fun… except for the stranger part."
We both laughed and headed to the coffee shop where Indy's friend works.
"You see anyone?" I asked.
"I don't think so," she replied, and I didn't want to press it at all.
"No worries."
Indy got her free sandwich, and we had a wonderful date together. Then, it was about time to head back home.
"Mama, we haven't been out like this in forever," she said, and I felt more grateful for the pain pump than in previous months. "Remember how we used to go to the photo booth when I was younger… before you got sick? We'd go on dates and get our pictures taken there."
I nodded. Indy has some of those pictures still hanging on her mirror.
"You wanna go to the mall and take pictures at the photo booth?"
"Would that be okay? If you're still feeling all right?"
I nodded. Fighting cancer has changed a lot in our lives and somehow catapulted our teenagers through the tough years and made them appreciative and extremely helpful.
Indy has her learner's permit (since kids can drive at 15 in Idaho), but she still has a lot to learn, and when she drives, I feel closer to G-d—because I pray so much for Him to spare our lives.
Anyway, after we walked into the mall, a rush of people skirted past us. I wondered if they returned holiday gifts or just wanted to go shopping for 2025 sales. Regardless, the number of people seemed unusual.
"You okay?" Indy asked because I went toward the wall and held onto it.
"Yeah," I said. "That was just a lot of people. I'm glad it's calmer now."
We looked over and must've seen her at the exact same time. A woman used a walker to inch toward the exit. People passed her—not even noticing her struggles. And with a sinking heart, I wondered if that's what true loneliness looks like.
"That's her!" Indy suddenly said. "That's who the sunflower is for."
"But you said you were nervous about going up to a stranger?"
"I'm not nervous anymore." She straightened up. "She needs this."
Indy walked over, almost matching speed with the woman. Then, she finally stood in front of her, and the woman peered up, shocked. Mall customers continued passing by, too busy to notice a miracle unfolding right next to them.
Few words were exchanged, but Indy stood there, looking kindly at the woman. After a few moments more, Indy walked back toward me, and the woman's eyes never left her, even as she clutched the simple sunflower magnet to her chest.
"Are you okay?" I asked because tears filled Indy's eyes.
"You won't believe what she said."
"What?" I asked.
"Well, I told her how beautiful she is and that I wanted to give her something special to remember. Then she told me she's 85 and hasn't heard something like that about herself in decades!"
"That's… I'm so glad you said that to her, Indy. Is that why you're crying?"
"No, Mama," she said. "I'm crying because when she first saw me, she said, "Oh, my goodness. SUNSHINE!" Indy swallowed hard. "Like I was SUNSHINE. Actual sunshine... Just like you said." She shook her head in wonder. "She did more for me than I did for her. You were right. Those are magic. Where did you get them, Mama?" she joked.
"The dollar store," I replied, and we both laughed.
"Wow. She made my heart feel so warm." Then, more tears filled Indy's eyes as we walked toward the photo booth to finish off the perfect date.
"It's always good to be kind," Indy said, and I knew in that moment that I couldn't be any prouder of Indy and all of my kids.
