Bear Gift Basket

Poka Dot bear gets delivered in a basket with honey and flowers from my garden. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Poka Dot bear gets delivered in a basket with honey and flowers from my garden. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Bear Gift Basket

This was the second time in 23 years that a Bluebird Gardens customer asked for an ordered item to be locally delivered.

The Seattle customer said her sister was moving to our area to attend Missouri S&T. During the move, her car and trailer were in an accident — then her sister came down with COVID. At the time of the order, the sister was in our local hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU)

As I pulled the little cheerful Poka Dot bear out of storage with the other collectlble animals I have, I thought about how lonely it must be for a young woman so far from home getting such a rough start to this new chapter in her life. Even if her family could make it here from Seattle, they would not be allowed in the room for a visit, either in ICU or in her recuperating room. Who else would give her hugs but this little Poka Dot bear?

Flowers always cheer me up so I headed out to my garden to gather a small bouquet of flowers. I was also in the process of bottling honey so I added a bottle and honey dipper. If she has a recurring cough as she recovers, the local honey will come in handy.

And then I found a basket to fit everything in. The basket will keep all of the items together, be easily visible if they set it at the foot of the bed or the window and be a reminder that her family is thinking of her.

If you are also making gift deliveries to a local hospital, call them first to see if they will allow gift items in the hospital rooms. They don’t allow items in ICU but usually will allow items in a regular hospital bed.

Although I was willing to visit this young woman, I was told since she was a COVID patient no guests were allowed but her COVID nurse would be glad to deliver the basket.

Here’s hoping Poka Dot Bear works his magic and puts a smile on this young woman’s face as she rapidly recovers!

Charlotte