It was a rainy day. I had no desire to drive up the winding mountain road to my daughter Carolyn's house. But she had insisted that I come to see something at the top of the mountain.
So here I was, although unwilling to make the two-hour journey through fog and rain. After lunch, my daughter requested me to drive her to Barage. After a ten-minute drive, we parked the car and got out. We walked along a path that was thick with old pine needles. Huge black green evergreens towered over us. Gradually the peace and silence of the place began to fill my mind. Then we turned a comer and stopped--and I gasped in amazement.
From the top of the mountain to the slopes and valleys, were rivers of daffodils(水仙) in full bloom. A sea of amazing colors, like a carpet before us. It looked as though the sun had tipped over and spilled gold down the mountainside. At the center hung a waterfall of purple hyacinths. Here and there were breathtaking tulips(郁金香).
A lot of questions filled my mind. Who created such beauty? Why? How?
As we approached the home that stood in the center of the property, we saw a sign that read, "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking". The first answer was:"One Woman--Two Hands, Two Feet, and Very Little Brain." The second was: "One at a Time." The third: "Started in 1958."
I was so moved by what we had seen. "She changed the world," I said, not getting over the shock, "one bulb (球茎) at a time. She started almost 40 years ago, probably just the beginning of an idea, but she kept at it."
"Imagine," I added, "if I had a vision and worked at it, just a little bit every day, what might I have accomplished?"
Carolyn looked sideways at me, smiling. "Start tomorrow," she said. "Better yet, start today."
