7.18.2026
I work for a tiny landscaping company, one where everyone knows your name and what’s important to you. For the Fourth of July the company gave its full-time employees a paid day off and even slipped a little extra cash into my part-time paycheck! Additionally, the owner of the company routinely purchases and provides free drinks (water, soda, coffee) for the employees.
Those gestures may seem small, but they reminded me how good it feels to be appreciated, and how easy it is to pass that feeling along. In fact, that appreciation sparked an idea: a way to say thank you to a kind owner with a huge heart and the great people he brings together.
The hubs and I had gone blueberry picking the weekend before and, as usual, came home with far more berries than two people could reasonably eat. We froze most of them, but I set aside a bowl specifically for muffins. It was my simple way to send a little good karma back into a place that makes me feel appreciated.
I bought some nostalgic (for me) Jiffy mix at the store – raspberry since blueberry was sold out. At home I folded in a generous handful of our fresh berries into the mix, sprinkled brown sugar on top, and soon the kitchen smelled like my childhood. That sure brought a smile to my face!
Of course, I couldn’t bring untested muffins to work because good deeds still need quality control (the hubs and I each had one). I brought the remaining muffins into the office the following morning and they were gone by the end of the day. Several people mentioned that they appreciated having an extra snack to keep them fueled up while working.
It wasn’t a grand gesture. I mean, it was just a tray of muffins. But kindness doesn’t need to be complicated to matter. In bringing the muffins, I tried to convey a message to the team: I see you, and I am grateful to work alongside you. I really do believe that when you send good energy into the world, it finds its way back. My colleagues’ smiles reminded me that gratitude grows when you share it, and I’m excited to keep finding small ways to pass it on.
