Watering the Plants Even When Nobody Sees

Here’s to all the people who continue to do their jobs well that help our cities, homes, and neighborhoods function and look and feel better even though most people don’t notice unless those small good things are missing from our lives. And the next time I run past that dedicated watering crew that makes the hanging baskets full of brilliant flowers look so vibrant, I’m going to let them know what a difference they make in my life.

Often, over the last couple of months, when I’m out running in the mornings, I’ve run past a city truck with a few crew members in the back running a pump and hose with a very long watering arm to water the dozens of large hanging baskets that are strewn about the historic district of my town where I live. The crew members do their work with amazing efficiency, going from on basket to the next almost faster than I can keep up with them while jogging the same path.

I only catch the watering crew if I’m running particularly early, and often they are the only people I come across at that early hour. So most of the people who can enjoy the flowers never know who it is who’s keeping the flowers alive even during the unusually hot summer days we’ve had this year.

I’m sure we all know of people who do jobs like this. People who quietly go about their duties as well as they can with no recognition from the people who benefit from their efforts. I think about the grocery store clerks who stock our shelves or the late night janitors at medical clinics whose work we only notice when there are probably, rarely to celebrate the cleanliness of the clinics. Or what about the power line inspectors, city works people, trail volunteers, and so many more.

Of course these people don’t do these tasks to get praised by us, but I’ve been thinking lately of what good could come to our souls in sending some quiet thank you’s to these generally overlooked people who bring small morsels of joy to our hearts in such a subtle way that I might not even be aware that the hanging plants’ blooms have brought a smile to my face.

So here’s to all the people who continue to do their jobs well that help our cities, homes, and neighborhoods function and look and feel better even though most people don’t notice unless those small good things are missing from our lives. And the next time I run past that dedicated watering crew that makes the hanging baskets full of brilliant flowers look so vibrant, I’m going to let them know what a difference they make in my life.