Nothing Is Ever Lost When It's Given Away

A wise friend and faithful Papa's volunteer said something simple and profound to me this week. "Nothing is ever lost when it's given away."

We were talking about the end of the pumpkin season and the few hundred pumpkins still sitting at Papa's Pumpkin Patch. He'd stopped by to pick up a few more pumpkins for his grandkids to carve this weekend when they were over for a visit.

By the time he was ready to leave, we'd loaded his truck with squash, gourds AND pumpkins. You see, he was going to have a few more pumpkins for his grandkids, as well as harvest displays for his community, and pumpkins for the nursing home, school and maybe even a few neighbors.

We'd talked it through and it was important to me that Papa's say "thanks" for the countless hours he and his wife had given during the pumpkin season. It was meaningful to him that he be able to share "his harvest" with those most special -- his family and his community (he lives in a small town outside Bismarck).

Getting ready to leave, he made his simple, yet profound statement: "Nothing is ever lost when it's given away." I'd been down on myself about mis-calculating the number of pumpkins we needed this year. My friend reminded me the number of pumpkins was accurate; I'd just mis-calculated the way in which they'd be used.

Thank you for another wonderful season at Papa's Pumpkin Patch! If you were unable to get your annual visit in due to the weather, or if you know someone special you'd like to gift with a pumpkin from Papa's, stop by this Thursday or Friday, Oct. 29-30, from 4-6 pm, or on Halloween from 10 am- 2 pm. And remember: nothing is ever lost when it's given away.

See you soon,

Papa