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“We send you these flowers from our hearts” – A Hurricane Irma Wedding Story

“We send you these flowers from our hearts”
A Hurricane Irma Wedding Story

Justin Murphy and his new bride, Katherine, had planned a glorious celebration of their love and life together, but Hurricane Irma had other plans for their oceanside wedding day. Read about how the couple’s resilience, love, and generosity touched hundreds of lives in the face of the storm –

Katherine and I started planning for our picture-perfect dream wedding well over a year ago – a sunset celebration on Clearwater Beach, FL on Saturday, September 9th. Just a week prior to our chosen date, we went into the Pinellas County Courthouse and obtained our marriage license. And, well into the week before Hurricane Irma hit, we were still hopeful that mother nature and the storm were going to make a turn in another direction. As the days passed, however, our concerns for the safety of our more than 150 guests from both near and far as well as local venue employees increased. The dangers became real and we started to consider our options to evacuate the Tampa area. On Wednesday, September 6th, our wedding event was officially cancelled. As challenging as that was, we kept our hopes up and our love remained stronger than ever.

Evacuation notifications began to spread, and we learned local government offices would be closed ahead of the storm, too. Thursday morning the 7th came and with heavy, yet strong hearts, we were determined to see our lifelong commitment to each other through. Katherine put on her beautiful wedding dress, did her hair and makeup while I found a suit stashed away in the closet. We met in the living room of our home and shared a few tears as we experienced our true “first look.” Meanwhile, my mother ran out and found a bouquet for Katherine to carry. It was emotional for us all, and yet, so beautiful. With my mother and our son as our witnesses, we were married on the afternoon of Thursday, September 7th. While it was not quite under the beautiful sunset of Clearwater Beach, it was a true testament of the strong love we share today and alwaysl.

Amid our own plans to evacuate the area, we thought about all the beautiful flowers that were prepared for our wedding day. We were not willing to let those flowers – a symbol of what was to be – go to waste. We asked our wedding planner, Barb Oehlerking from Artistry Designs to see how we could donate so many beautiful flowers. We were fortunate enough to find such a great organization and team in Random Acts of Flowers in Tampa. Through the efforts of Monica, Janette, and Barb, we coordinated and donated every flower we had planned to use on our wedding day.

We learned more than 170 bouquets were made and so many lives were touched. We are so glad to see a tough and sad situation turned into a positive one.

    

“My grandmother is in the hospital and she wanted to thank all of you for the flowers that were given to her out of the kindness of your hearts! It really made her happy! All I wanted to see was a smile on her face and she smiled like a ray of sunshine!” – Julie H., Family of Recipient

Our message to all recipients would be that we send you these flowers from our hearts. We hope they brought a ray of sunshine and hope into your lives. Knowing Random Acts of Flowers was able to step in and repurpose the flowers and bless others brings us both happiness and joy. We sent them to you in love and as a symbol of the love both Katherine and I share together today. We will welcome our son to this world in December, another joy we share together and look forward to. The picture-perfect dream wedding we set out for will occur sometime in 2018.

For now, we focus on getting our lives back together, sharing the moments and memories that surfaced during such a challenging time, and celebrating our special love that will endure for all time.

Sincerely, Justin Murphy

After All, To Love and Be Loved Is Life.

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Tuesdays with Flowers: Making Memories Blossom with Random Acts of Flowers

Tuesdays with Flowers: Making Memories Blossom
with Random Acts of Flowers


Describing Stephanie Mataya as a caregiver feels like a vast understatement once you get to know her. A full-time speech pathologist, wife, mom, stepmom, and dog/cat/lizard mom, Stephanie spends her time bettering the lives of the people (and animals) who surround her and nurturing a culture of care and compassion in her community. For the past fifteen years, Stephanie has been a speech pathologist at BayCare, one of the largest healthcare systems in Pinellas County, Florida, and during that time, she has become very involved in the Random Acts of Flowers mission both at work and during her free time.

This is her story of the impact delivering hope has had in her life.


I work with the elderly and a lot of our patients are people who come to us from long-term care or assisted living facilities. They are often people who are dealing with dementia for the first time and don’t have family around. That’s an issue we deal with a lot here in Florida. People come down here to retire and then they are alone. 

The flowers that Random Acts of Flowers delivers create an emotional connection, and people – when they’re in the hospital – are overwhelmed. Their families are overwhelmed. It’s such a surreal experience and when flowers are there, you feel like a normal person. We expect to see flowers and trees and grass, and we take them for granted. But, when you’re in a facility, you don’t have the opportunity to go outside and enjoy nature in the same way.

The flowers create that feeling that someone cares about them, and it’s a great way to start a conversation about something other than the care they’re receiving. Everything’s being done to them, this is done for them. As a healthcare provider and a speech pathologist, it opens a lot of doors.

One of my favorite stories about the impact of Random Acts of Flowers is about a patient who had come from a skilled nursing facility. She wasn’t talking to us or interacting; she was shutting down. An RAF delivery came, and the flowers were on her windowsill. I brought the flowers over to her and started talking about them and had her smell them. And, she immediately started talking with me. She said, “I remember getting flowers for my birthday.” This bouquet had roses and was very fragrant and she said, “Roses are my favorite flower.”

That olfactory experience started triggering a lot of memories for her. There’s a lot of research about how the sense of smell can trigger memories and emotions. And, this woman who hadn’t spoken in a long time started speaking about her husband and her kids. From that point, she got more interactive, would eat more, etc. We encouraged her home facility to give her flowers to help her stay more alert and interactive.

Another story I love – We have a long-term care unit and we get our deliveries there every Tuesday. Recently, we had a young woman from Chicago in our care. She had a lot of memory issues, but one thing she could always remember was “on Tuesdays, my flowers come.” We would work on her knowing the date, trying to get her oriented. She was very confused, but we could give her that touchstone – “On Tuesdays, my flowers come.” She’s well on her way to a full recovery and going back home soon. She wants to volunteer at RAF Chicago when she’s feeling better. That’s what I call a full circle!


And, because RAF made deliveries to BayCare, I was able to see the positive effect it had on patients. It encouraged me to become more involved. My family and I have done deliveries, my son’s Boy Scout troop volunteered at the workshop, and my mom has even volunteered with floral prep. The benefit I’ve seen at my workplace made me want to help deliver hope to others. I love RAF, and I love what it does for patients, caregivers, and volunteers.


One more story! My sons are 15 and 17, and we did a delivery a few years ago at an Assisted Living Facility. There was a man there who had dementia, and we were told not to give him any flowers because he would eat them. My sons were upset because it was the man’s birthday the next day, but we couldn’t leave any flowers for him. So, with the facility’s permission, they decided that they wanted to bring him something for his birthday. So, we went back after school the next day with food and punch and spent some time with him for his birthday. Teenage boys are not necessarily known for being that compassionate, but making the connection with this man over the flowers helped their empathy shine through. They were able to think about delivering hope and bringing care and compassion to someone.

I would tell people interested in RAF, “Get involved immediately!” It’s so simple, but it’s so powerful. When you, as a volunteer, do something with your hands – prepping the flowers, making an arrangement, delivering flowers – it gets into your soul. One thing that’s especially great is that the feedback is immediate, and you can see it and feel it in the moment. When you talk about the ripple effect, the caregiver and the volunteer gets to enjoy the glow that the deliveries create.

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Blog Chicago Patron Society

Something Bright during a Dark Time: The Impact of Random Acts of Flowers

Something Bright during a Dark Time:
The Impact of Random Acts of Flowers

by Natalie Rothstein, MA, LPC, Psychotherapist, Urban Balance

0NatalieRoth7269-1016x1024In December 2016, I wrote a blog post on behalf of Urban Balance about Random Acts of Flowers and the incredible contribution they’ve made to the Chicago community and nationwide. Random Acts of Flowers brings donated flowers that have been rearranged into beautiful bouquets to patients at hospitals during their stays. The nonprofit has been able to touch the lives of more than 196,000 patients nationwide and has also reached a wide population of patients. The organization has continuously been growing and reaching more and more patients in the communities that it serves.

Upon learning about Random Acts of Flowers, I was warmed to my core.  I know the impact of something bright during a dark time can be profound and amazing. The giving the organization does is a beautiful and important way to help patients during hospital stays, which can be incredibly draining and difficult.  The added brightness might not change circumstances, but it can truly make a difficult time feel less gloomy and more hopeful. 

As a therapist (Licensed Professional Counselor) at Urban Balance, a counseling practice based out of Chicago, I am particularly aware of how gratitude and positivity can play a powerful role. I have seen the effect both personally and for my clients, and I often emphasize the importance of incorporating a gratitude practice into one’s life. I feel strongly that expressing gratitude fosters hope and strength to manage when life may feel filled with negativity.

Receiving flowers during a hospital stay gives a patient something to be grateful for and brings positivity to their environment. Regardless of the reason someone is there, being in the hospital can be a very overwhelming time; but, brightness through the gift of flowers can help hope blossom. It’s important to acknowledge that sadness and difficulty are very real parts of being a patient, but allowing oneself to look to positives is extremely helpful for a person’s mental wellness.

One beautiful bouquet can be a guiding point in the emotional healing process for someone. This is why what Random Acts of Flowers does is so important. The idea of giving to others during their difficult time that can have such monumental benefits on their spirit and their hope, is powerful.

The mind and body are completely connected. Being physically unwell can take a tremendous toll on someone’s emotional wellbeing, and this is where the impact of hope and brightness come in. One beautiful bouquet can be a guiding point in the emotional healing process for someone. In our most fragile states, we need positives that can help us through. This is why what Random Acts of Flowers does is so important. Giving to others during their difficult time can have such monumental benefits on their spirit. I commend them for taking such an important concept, cultivating it, and making it flourish.

I am impressed by the amazing work that Random Acts of Flowers does for the mental wellness of hospital patients in the communities it serves. Their work creates a chain of care and support. The volunteers who create the flower arrangements not only receive personal fulfillment, but also know that they are helping recipients feel like a perfect stranger did something to brighten their day. That is a wonderful testament to what kindness can look like. I look forward to hearing about all of the work that they continue to do.

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Guest Blog: The Magic Healing Power of Flowers by Katie Hess of LotusWei

Guest Blog: The Magic Healing Power of Flowers

by Katie Hess of LotusWei

Flowers bring joy to our faces and light up our lives. Being around them simply makes us feel better, and scientific studies have shown that flowers in a hospital room can even help us heal faster by promoting lower stress and perceived pain levels.

unnamedBut the magic of flowers goes even deeper than this feel-good reaction we have to their presence. Imagine walking in a field of your favorite flower. Or burying your face in its petals. That which you are feeling – whether in reality or through visualization – is indicative of the benefits and special qualities of that particular flower.

Every flower on the planet has its own unique quality. When we think of a Peony flower, it makes us feel very different than when we think of a Rose or a Daisy or Orchid. Some flowers bring us joy, others invoke love, peace or even help us sleep more deeply. Each flower contains a particular healing quality, feeling or state of mind within us. Even if we have not been aware of or articulated this knowledge before, we intuitively know this about flowers.

Flowers Act as Messengers

Excerpted from Flowerevolution: Blooming into Your Full Potential with the Magic of Flowers.

Flowers connect us with our loved ones. Giving flowers to is a profound expression of a particular essence or feeling that cannot always be expressed in words. When we buy flowers for other people, we consider them as we choose the flowers. We access that “feeling” part of us to see what kind of flowers suit them or embody the particular feeling that we want to convey.

Each flower embodies a unique quality. Irises, for example, evoke an elegant and wild creativity, with their royal purple, paintbrush-like tips that ruffle out into full bloom and the bold streak of yellow in the center. Gerbera daisies, on the other hand, are all joy; they’re expansive, radiating liveliness and vitality with their radial shape like the sun. Orchids are an entirely different story, otherworldly in their exquisite sophistication and beauty.

Imagine for a moment giving an orchid to someone. Now visualize giving the same person a bouquet of peonies. Next, see yourself giving them a bouquet of sunflowers. How does it feel? Each gift of flowers feels totally different, right? And they will likely provoke different responses from the recipient.

Even when you buy cut flowers or a potted plant for yourself, your choice expresses or brings out a certain quality in you. Some flowers you feel particularly drawn to, and others you simply don’t. More often than not, the flowers you are drawn to are not the same as the flowers the next person is attracted to. Based on our internal landscapes, we gravitate to specific flowers for the way they make us feel.

These preferences are not based on traditional symbolism; they come from understanding the flowers through our hearts. We already speak the language of flowers, without knowing it. The flowers that we are most attracted to are those that have qualities we want to embody or that dissolve, shift, or awaken something inside us.

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What’s more, these qualities can be captured, collected and infused into water, Mother Nature’s greatest recording device, into what are known as flower elixirs. Different from aromatherapy, flower elixirs don’t have a scent and work through the body’s acupuncture meridians. It is a liquid infusion of a flower or plant’s ‘chi’ or life-force, whereas an essential oil is distilled or extracted from the plant into a highly aromatic oil.

I’ve spent the last 15 years working with flower elixirs and observing their transformative effects on people. At a time when we are more distracted, fatigued and stressed than ever, flower elixirs not only help us be our best selves, but they also show us our full potential. By spending time around them – putting them in our environment, using their essential oils (aromatherapeutic) or flower elixirs (taken internally) – it is possible to experience the specific healing qualities of different flowers.

Flowers have been a well-loved way to brighten up our home or someone’s day, but they are also the best remedy you’ve likely never even heard of.

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Katie Hess is a flower alchemist and the founder of LOTUSWEI, one of the world’s leading floral apothecaries. After 15 years of independent research of flower and plant-based healing, her flower-powered community is thriving in over 15 countries. Her transformative elixirs having been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, The LA Times, Sunset, and Organic Spa Magazine. A lifelong spiritual seeker, Katie has studied meditation and mindful-awareness techniques with several Tibetan Buddhist masters, including the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa, Tibet’s next generation leader. Choose the flowers you’re most attracted to and find out what it means about you at: www.lotuswei.com.

If you’d like to discover more about flower elixirs, their magical abilities, and the activating qualities of individual flowers, I just came out with a book: Flowerevolution: Blooming Into Your Full Potential with the Magic of Flowers.