A Living Legacy

       

This is a true East Texas treasure.  

Located right outside of Gladewater is one sweet lady's dream come true. That lady is Mrs. Helen Lee, who in the 1950's bought a boxcar of daffodils straight from Holland to plant on over 28 acres of her 1,000 acre property. Knowing how the flowers multiply, her hope was that one day people would travel to Gladewater to see the daffodils and visit the town she loved. Mrs. Lee died in 1984 with no heirs, but the granddaughter of the Lee's workers, who originally planted the daffodils, now runs the garden, keeping the legacy of her and her helpers alive. 

My mom, sister and I visited the garden a couple of Saturdays ago. As we drove down the winding dirt road that took us through the acres of daffodils, windows down and enjoying the crisp East Texas spring air, I thought of Mrs. Lee and how her dream had come true. What a legacy she left! That Saturday her land was wrapped up with people viewing the flowers, children having their spring pictures taken by photographers and City of Gladewater volunteers telling visitors her story. People were coming to her hometown to enjoy her daffodils just like she hoped for when they were first planted. And I was thankful to her for investing in a place that people could enjoy and witness God's beautiful creations in the East Texas landscape. 

I also thought of the woman who know oversees the gardens each year, Mrs. Carolyn Owens Johnson - the granddaughter of two people who once faithfully worked for Mrs. Lee. Her own grandparents helped plant the flowers and bring these gardens to life. That she is dedicated to preserving their work speaks not only to her love of them, but her respect for Mrs. Lee. 

Legacy is something that we all have an opportunity to leave - whether we have wealth to share or not, we all have resources in our time, our talents and our words. Mrs. Lee and her helpers' legacy is alive in Gladewater today and something that moves my heart and inspires me to leave something behind for others as well- to use the time I have on this earth wisely and effectively enough to hopefully bring good to others even when I am one day gone. 

Mrs. Lee's Daffodil Garden has closed early this year, due to drought and the heat we've felt in East Texas. However, I encourage you to go next year! You can read more about the history and operation of the garden by clicking here.