My favorite flower has always been a lily.  A bit narcissistic, I know, but it has a simple meaning; I like it because it's my name.  I never really put much thought into the small things, like flowers, because I never believed I had the time.  Ever since I could walk, I always had the burning passion to do something great in life.  When I was two, that was becoming a Disney princess.  When I was ten, that was combing the ocean for new life, and swimming amongst the fish.  The desire to always dream big and achieve big is what drove me in life, and I would focus all of my attention on one goal.  For most of my life, that was all I would do, but then I was alone.  Quarantine hit, and I was trapped in my house.  Suddenly the world that seemed so vast and endless shrunk into my 24 by 20 foot room.  I realized then, that I would have to change the way I see and experience life in order to adapt to the situation the world was thrown into. 

Shoot.  Where are my shoes?, I thought to myself. They were right here the last time I checked, right next to my bed. Who moved them, if it was my sister I swear- "LILLIAN!" my mom's loud yells sharply snapped me out of my head.

"LILLY WE HAVE TO GO NOW, BEFORE IT GETS DARK! YOUR GRANDMOTHER IS HERE ALREADY. HURRY DOWN NOW OR I'M DITCHING YOU," she shouted from across the house.

Quickly, I found my shoes next to my sister's bed- I'd make sure to ask her about that later- and I scurried out the front door after my mom.  As I strode down the black pavement of our driveway, I slipped on my mask.  It was around late July then, so masks were like a second nature to me.  Since Pennsylvania was moved into the yellow zone not too long ago, my mom and I had decided to go on a socially distanced walk with my grandmother- or as I call her, Gum Gum.  I wasted no time to start our walk since I didn't really want to talk with my Gum Gum because I had nothing to talk about.  We were about half way through our walk, and I hadn't really spoken, when my Gum Gum halted.  In between a sliver in the sidewalk was a tiny little weed.  A dandelion.  She picked it, tucked it behind her ear, and started her strides again.  Intrigued as to why she would pay any attention to the weed in the crack of her path, I asked her; "Why did you do that? Why did you pick that flower?" 

"Hmm? Oh it's my favorite flower, that's why I picked it. You know why it's my favorite? Because it reminds me of you. You and your siblings and your cousins- you all always used to pick the dandelions when I would take you on walks, and you would make those adorable little crowns out of them.  They were so tiny to fit your baby heads, and now anytime I look at a dandelion, all I see are your little faces.  Plus, they're my favorite color." she explained. 

Huh.  She really likes a weed?  Maybe all this time alone has made her go a bit cuckoo.  

"Cool." I responded casually.  I wouldn't voice my concerns about her favorite flower- wait, what other flowers are there? Lilies, I know that one, sunflowers, ummmmmmm, oh the tinier weeds that make your chin turn yellow! I forget their names… BUTTERCUPS! Ok great that's only three. By the time I had collected my thoughts, we had reached my house.  Our walk was done, and I had barely said 10 words to Gum Gum.  What's wrong with you, you haven't seen her in like 5 months, and this is what you do? Shut up.  I gave her an elbow tap goodbye and slowly turned back into my house to inevitably be swallowed up by my room again. 

A couple hours passed, and my phone was starting to sting my eyes, so I shut it off.  I sat in the darkness, and stared at the ceiling, alone with my thoughts.  No seriously, a weed? I can name like three other flowers that are wayyy better than a weed- why do I know only three flowers?  I pulled out my phone and googled : “types of flowers”.  Billions of results popped up.  And if that wasn't enough, millions of images followed. Marigolds.  Tulips.  Hydrangeas.  Daisies.  Rose's.  How did I forget rose's, am I that oblivious? 

Click. 

A switch went off in my brain.  I don't know more than three flowers because I never paid them any attention.  I wonder what else I've overlooked because I didn't think it mattered. The walk. The walk. The walk with my Gum Gum, who I haven't seen in so long, I didn't give it any thought.  Jesus Lilly! That was the first time you saw, talked too, and touched your grandmother in 5 months! I mentally slapped my face.  I realized then that I'd have to start learning to appreciate the little things in life, and not just ignore them. 

The next day, I called my grandmother and explained to her why I was so withdrawn from actually being present in our walk.  I explained to her that I just thought it was a normal walk, one I had taken thousands of times before, and that it didn't matter.  But right after I explained to her that I now know how important that walk was to the both of us, and how sorry I was for not talking to her. We went on and talked for another hour.  As the months went on, that one hour call would happen every weekend, and I would update her on what I could.  Since I had nothing going on in life, everything now seemed interesting.  I told her about how I joined my first zoom call,  I told her about the tree I climbed, I told her about the show I was watching, I told her about the time I went to the store, I told her about the walk I went on with my friends, and I told her many more things.  Little things that I never viewed as important until they became important.  And I finally learned how to appreciate them.  Now, my favorite flower is a heather because it reminds me of all the little things in life that can be strung together to create something beautiful- and heather is a pretty name.