Nothing seems to brighten up a room faster than a bouquet of flowers. While bringing a touch of nature inside, fresh flowers make a room look and smell better. Perhaps that’s why people who are limited to hospital rooms appreciate flowers so much.

Larsen Jay experienced this for himself. After falling from a building in 2007, Jay was in the hospital for weeks. He faced numerous surgeries and began losing hope. Jay’s friends and family members, though, came to his rescue. They delivered fresh flowers each day and something wonderful happened. Jay’s mood began to improve, and he looked forward to the future with increased hope.

He soon realized that others around him weren’t receiving the same type of emotional support. This drove him to go from room to room, giving away his flowers. The results were amazing! He found that people’s misery quickly turned to happiness.

After leaving the hospital, Jay couldn’t forget the power of his flowers. Within six months, he came up with the idea for Random Acts of Flowers.

Random Acts of Flowers accepts donations of previously used flowers, often from weddings, and rearranges them. The flowers are then given to people in hospitals and nursing homes. In their first year, the organization served fewer than 100 people. But by 2018 they had given out close to 300,000 bouquets.

According to many studies, fresh flowers and plants can help with the healing process. A Harvard study found that flowers bring health benefits, including reduced stress. A different study found that patients with flowers had shorter hospital stays and lower levels of pain. A 2001 Rutgers study discovered that flowers help reduce depression. The University of Tennessee Medical Center did a study on Random Acts of Flowers in 2016. Almost 95 percent of the patients who had received flowers reported an improvement in their emotional condition.

Time spent in hospitals and nursing homes is no bed of roses. But groups like Random Acts of Flowers are making a difference. They give away fresh flowers to show kindness and promote healing.

I took a job at a vet (兽医) clinic almost five decades ago. As an enthusiastic animal lover, I accepted the position on the condition that I wouldn't have to assist with any wounded animals. I couldn't bear to see any creature in pain.

At the end of my first week, we were closing the office for the day when a young man ran up to us holding a severely injured Doberman pinscher puppy (杜宾幼犬) in his arms and begging us to save his life. The four-month-old pup had been hit by a car.

The doctor and I ran back into the operating room. The only place the skin was still attached to this poor little animal's body was around one shoulder. The vet worked tirelessly for what seemed like hours, sewing him back together again. That was the easy part. The puppy had broken multiple bones, including his spine (脊椎) . If he survived the next few days, we were quite sure he would never walk.

That day forever changed my life. I became the vet's assistant in all things medical. One of my first jobs was to give that Doberman puppy daily physical therapy, I remember moving his tiny legs to try to keep his muscles from weakening.

Weeks went by until one day, I felt this little fighter push back ever so slightly. And he continued to push back till he could finally use his legs.

Fast-forward about a year. I walked into the clinic's crowded waiting room and called the name of the next client. Suddenly, a huge Doberman who had been standing quietly with his owner on the opposite side of the room broke loose and dashed toward me. 1 found myself pinned against the wall with this magnificent dog standing on his hind legs, his front paws on my shoulders, washing my face with abundant and joyful kisses!

I still tear up in amazement at the display of love and gratitude the dog had for me that day all those years ago.

My 10-year-old Donna said, “Mom, I made a new friend at school today. Can she come over tomorrow?” Donna was a shy girl and I wanted her to make some friends to bring her out of her shell.

“Sure, honey, that sounds great,” I said, thinking back to my own best friend, Lillian. We lived across the street from each other in Washington Heights, New York. We met at the age of 10, too. Like my daughter, I was shy, but Lillian drew me out. She was one of the friendliest people in school, with shiny black hair and a mile-wide smile. I knew we would be best friends forever.

In senior high school, Lillian went on a trip to Florida. That was the first time we had to be away from each other for a few days. “I’ll be back soon,” she told me. But three days later, Lillian’s sister told me that she had fallen into a river and hadn’t come out any more. I got depressed for a long time. Soon, my family moved to New Jersey. Whenever I thought of her, tears came into my eyes.

The next day Donna brought her new friend home. “Hi, Mrs. Loggia,” the little girl said. Her hair was so shiny and black and she flashed me a big smile, “My name is Laura.”

My daughter’s new friend was so much like Lillian. I was still puzzled when Laura’s mom came to pick her up later that afternoon. I opened the door to let her in. “Judy!” she cried. “It’s me, Lillian’s sister, from Washington Heights.” Yes, my daughter’s friend looked familiar. She was Lillian’s niece.