Here’s a tidbit to put you in a good mood for the weekend: A recent study found that happiness around the world is on the rise.
It was a surprising result for lead researcher Ronald Inglehart, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, who attributed the increase to economic growth, democratization and rising social tolerance. Read more at: livescience.com/health/080630-world-happiness.html.
Personally, I think it’s the little things in life that make you happy – a glass of good wine, dinner at your favorite restaurant, a sunset that glows with the colors of the day, a friend who really gets you. And of course there’s no better feeling than making someone else’s day.
That’s the whole idea behind Make Someone Smile Week, a Teleflora program running July 20-26. Thousands of Teleflora member florists across the United States and Canada deliver floral arrangements to those most in need of a smile – hospital patients, nursing home residents, children living in foster-care facilities.
Local florists work with their local wholesalers and growers to secure flower donations. Beautiful flowers arrive in the company’s keepsake Be Happy® Mugs.
My colleague Rich Salvaggio recalls delivering at a children’s hospital in LA. He noticed a 5-year-old boy who, despite the cheerful mugs and fresh flowers, wouldn’t smile. The boy explained: “I can’t smile. All my teeth fell out when I got treated for cancer. But I can grin.”
Moments like that make the program incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.
If you need a pick-me-up or know someone who does, take a leaf out of our florists’ book (pun intended!). Be Happy bouquets are a great way to give a boost.
Flower Fact of the Day: Black was back at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – black plants, black stonework, black wicker chairs and more. Read the full report at: getreading.co.uk/lifestyle/home_and_garden.
And read the BBC's take on the HCP Flower Show’s futuristic display of underground parking: bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/articles/2008/07/10/hampton
_court_feature.shtml.