It Started with Daffodils......

Have you ever had an A-ha moment when you’re driving home from work, the world is quiet and an idea pops into your mind and literally makes the hair on your forearms stand up?

That’s when you know the idea is really good. And it’s why, this past fall, I planted daffodils.

Stay with me here……..

If you live in New England, you understand the significance of this. When daffodils start to bloom, there’s an immediate sense of, “Oh my gosh, we’ve made it to spring!” It’s a sudden rush of optimism, a promise that the days and weeks ahead are going to be brighter.

It’s very much like another part of nature that we feature inside the lobby of Gaylord’s Milne Pavilion. Four watercolor prints depict the same stunning copper beech tree—a fixture on our campus—in all of its colors and varieties across the seasons. A few years ago, these trees appeared on Gaylord’s annual holiday card as a symbol of transformation and renewal.

When I drove home that late rainy October day, it struck me that daffodils could also be a sign of renewal for our patients and their families. Gaylord is currently moving forward on a master plan to reimagine our 400-acre campus as a symbol of recovery. And daffodils, I thought, could be an incredible first step—a simple concept but with extraordinary meaning and symbolism.

So, this past November, I planted daffodils at my home. Along a neglected small strip next to my driveway, I tested the concept. For months, it was just a patch of dirt. Then, as time passed, the first creamy yellow blooms began to pop up, there it was: joy and hope.

Now, can you imagine, looking out of a hospital room in the early days of spring and seeing fields of yellow blanketing a landscape emerging from winter’s thaw? I’m currently working on what it would look like to build a similar daffodil ridge at Gaylord, although much grander in scale, featuring thousands of flowers in full window view, where patients and families too can be delighted—and feel the promise that life does go on in beautiful ways.

Then again, if you think about it, it’s not really about the daffodils. It’s about how it is our privilege as fundraisers to find deeply meaningful and moving opportunities that create impact for our cause and inspire giving.

You may feel this too: In many ways, I believe my most important job is to listen. I often go back to conversations with our donors; our patients and families; my CEO, Sonja LaBarbera; and our campus visioning leader, Rosalyn Cama. I also go back to other ideas that I jot down in a tiny notebook I keep for just that purpose – my random thoughts! Then, in quiet moments amid the hustle of my daily schedule, the A-ha moments come—those compelling, feel-good but often simple opportunities where we can invite people to be a part of the healing that happens at Gaylord.

So, here’s my question to you: How are you making space for your own A-ha moments? You may be surprised to find that something as simple as a daffodil could tell your story—and be the start of a beautiful opportunity to engage your next philanthropist.