This is the story of a lone little yellow daffodil who grew up under the shade of a large oak tree. The little yellow daffodil acquired the name "Dinky" because he didn't get as much sun as the other daffodils so never grew as big, tall and strong as they did - he was small in comparison. Everyday Dinky would gaze over at his fellow daffodils dancing and singing with joy in the bright sunlight. They looked so happy, big and strong. They had everything, they had all the sunlight they could want and they had the company of each other. They were all clustered in groups of about 10 spread over a lovely hillside. All but Dinky, he was alone in the shade underneath the giant oak tree.
Dinky grew depressed. He felt alone. He felt as if he'd been dealt an unfair deal and didn't know why. He cried out to the heavens and asked, "Why me? Why am I here growing alone under the big oak and not able to enjoy the sunlight like all my fellow daffodils?" Dinky began to droop his beautiful yellow petals. His stem hung over and he looked dreadfully sad.
Suddenly, the big oak called down to him, startling the little daffodil. "Whoa there little yellow flower, why so gloomy? Don't you realize how very special you are?" Dinky straightened his stem and looked right up at the very, tall and big oak towering above him and said plainly. "No, I don't feel special at all." "You don't?" replied the stunned oak tree. "Nope, not one bit" said a gloomy Dinky. "Well, little fellow, do you think I just choose ANY daffodil to shelter and protect with my loving branches?" Dinky looked surprised, then angry. "You aren't protecting me oak tree, you are keeping me from the sunshine, the very thing that nourishes me and makes me big and strong like them" as he pointed a leaf towards the field of tall strong daffodils. "Ah said the oak, I see you don't realize the gift you have been given, so you don't see how special and loved you are." Dinky just made a sound of frustration, he certainly did not feel gifted, he felt denied!
The big oak pointed over to the field of daffodils and said, "look at them all happy gobbling up every ray of sunshine they can get, they are enjoying themselves now, but there is no one to protect them should things take a turn for the worse." Dinky looked up at the big old oak like he was nuts. "That's what we daffodils do! We enjoy the sunshine and gobble up every ray we can! What could possibly be bad about that?" "You'll see" said the big oak, "you'll see how very loved and protected you are. You'll realize that although you can't see it now, you are truly the blessed daffodil, not them." Dinky did not see.
The cool spring weeks passed and the days were becoming longer and summer was fast approaching. Dinky yawned and gazed longingly over at the hillside covered with his brethren. He and the old oak passed the days chatting a bit, but to Dinky it just wasn't the same as playing with his own kind. Dinky did not grow much taller, but was able to catch more and more shafts of sunlight for longer periods each day as the sun rose higher in the sky. It was as if the old oak was parting his leaves to allow some beautiful warm sunshine to fall onto Dinky. These were Dinky's favorite moments and he positively glowed with delight when the sunlight found him.
Dinky and old oak passed the days this way and one bright sunny morning, Dinky noticed that his friends were looking rather parched. They were very thirsty spending so many hours in with the sunlight beating down upon them. The sunlight, the source of their health, vigor and joy lasted much longer each day and they were thirsty. There were few rains that spring so the ground beneath them was drying out and there was less water to drink. They began to shrivel and look very thirsty. Dinky tried to call over encouragement to them, but they were too far away to hear him. Now over where Dinky was growing, in the midst of the thick root system of the big oak, the ground was damp and dark. The shade prevented the sun from drying out the ground and root system of the oak created spaces underground which trapped the water. Dinky had plenty to drink. Suddenly the tables were turned. His friends who had so much sunlight and enjoyed dancing and singing in the sun were being burned by the very source of their joy and Dinky was receiving enough sun to keep him happy and had an abundance of moist earth to drink from so he was not thirsty at all. "Now do you see?" the big oak boomed down at Dinky. Dinky blinked and nodded his little yellow head in disbelief. His friends were not so lucky as he had once thought, he was the lucky one. He watched as his friends lost their battle to the hot burning sunlight one by one. He was safe and sheltered, loved and protected by the shade and root system of the big oak. Summer time was not kind to the daffodils on the hillside, but to Dinky it gave him many gifts. Dinky lived long and strong to see many beautiful summer flowers bloom, the children run about on the hillside that was once home to his friends, he saw many things that daffodils usually don't get to see. And through it all, the oak protected and loved him.
Dinky became famous! People from the local area all began to come by and look at the lone daffodil growing and glowing underneath the big oak. Dinky even got his picture in the local paper! People came by and regularly took their picture with Dinky - he had become quite the celebrity. Dinky lived a blessed life and children brought him extra water and sang to him, birds came by and sat with him, bees buzzed around his petals and carried his pollen on the air. A Dinky lineage wasn't too far off. Dinky was setting records for the longest living daffodil ever. People began to write about Dinky and his picture was published in a book of accomplishments. And through it all the big oak smiled, loved and protected Dinky.
Then one day, after living a very long time, Dinky was feeling very weary. He told the old oak that he felt his time might be coming to an end soon. The oak smiled and said, "yes, that is true Dinky, you have lived longer than any daffodil ever has and become more famous than any daffodil ever has and lived more richly than and been more loved than any daffodil has, do you see this?" Dinky nodded, filled with love and gratitude towards his protector and giver of life, the big oak. I could not have done it without you dear oak", Dinky said to his friend. "I love and appreciate your caring for me and protecting me for so long. I know that there will be a whole family of Dinkys growing here in the future to keep you company. The bees have seen to that."
"I have lived a special life, a charmed life and magnificent life" Dinky continued. "My life has enriched the lives of so many different species, animals, birds, humans and even other plants and trees like you. I thought I was not special, that I was poor when others were rich. I could not have been more wrong. My life was very special, and my purpose unique and my own. I am fulfilled and am grateful. Thank you for being my friend and protecting me so well." The big oak nodded, swaying his branches rustling his leaves in appreciation. "You have brought me great joy Dinky and the gifts you gave the world were only yours to give."
The next day, Dinky died. The whole neighborhood came to bid farewell to the little daffodil they loved so much. His courage and big heart inspired many people of all ages to follow their hearts and dreams to express their uniqueness in the world without fear. There was a special section in the local paper devoted to Dinky's life and his passing. The stories included appreciation for the old oak who loved and protected Dinky so that he might grow and live as famously as he did. The local news even closed the broadcasts remembering the little daffodil that changed the lives of all that came to see him.
Dinky, the tiny daffodil who grew up thinking he was unloved, unlucky and the poorest daffodil of all, died with a heart overflowing with love and joy knowing that in truth, he was the richest daffodil of all.
© Amy Flynn, www.allabout-energy.com All rights reserved. For reprint permission, please email. Feel free to excerpt as long as you link to the original post.
