It has been blistering hot this past month. (Yes – even in Canada!) A few weeks ago, my husband and I were going to be out of town, so I asked my garden-loving parents to water my garden. This wasn’t a small request. They had to drive 30-minutes each way. But they quickly said YES and then Mom said,

“It will be a nice little drive for us. And I’ll get your father to buy me an ice cream cone for the drive home!”

They made the trek in the early evenings for three days in a row. Without their watering efforts, I would have returned to a desert of wizened tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, lettuce, beans, and more. Once my husband and I came home, I discovered my parents hadn’t just watered the plants. They’d picked some weeds, my dad made a little channel for the apple tree so it would absorb more water, and then, as if that wasn’t enough, my mom left her famous zucchini loaf on the counter.

“I stole some zucchini and made this for you.”

Before I’d even unpacked my bag, I cut a thick wedge of the loaf and wandered around my garden eating it. I took slowwww bites and savored how moist and delicious it was. Tears of appreciation welled up. For good parents. For verdant gardens. And for spicy zucchini loaf.

In today’s busy world, it is so nice to be loved in gentle and unexpected ways.

Now It’s Your Turn

Write about an unexpected gift you’ve received. Maybe it was today, or maybe it was twenty years ago. Was it a large gift or something small, like a smile from a stranger when you needed it most?

Remember. The best writing has humble beginnings.

Even zucchini loaves have a story.

*Did you love this? Then check out Scribbly – my gentle and whimsical writing program that we snail-mail right to your house. Scribbly writers from three countries have fallen in love with writing!