Drawn Together

Some connections happen over time. Others arrive all at once. 

When Rosalin entered the room, something about her presence was magnetic. Her eyes met ours from across the space, and in that instant, it felt as though we had known each other much longer than a few seconds. Rosalin moved toward us with warmth and curiosity, reaching out her hand as if greeting an old friend. 

We met Rosalin during a Petal It Forward visit at Maple View Memory Care. She lit up with excitement when she got to pick out her own bouquet to take back to her room. Hand in hand, Rosalin and Hope Blooms teammate Kelly walked the halls together, her bouquet carefully carried along the way. 

When they returned to the common area where other residents and Hope Blooms volunteers were visiting, Rosalin noticed others holding flowers, too. She paused and decided it was time to go back and get  

hers again.

So they walked. 

Down the hall and back again. 

Arm in arm. 

Hand in hand. 

Each step became less about the flowers and more about the companionship unfolding between Rosalin and Kelly, each person savoring the simple joy of being together. 

At one point Rosalin looked up, squeezed Kelly’s hands and softly said, “You’re my friend.” A little later she added with complete sincerity, “I love you.”

It was the kind of openness and affection that only someone truly living in the moment can offer. Rosalin  welcomed connection without hesitation, reminding everyone around her that sometimes a friendship can  sprout in the simplest way through a smile and a conversation. 

Her bouquet may have traveled back and forth down the hallway a few times that afternoon, but the true gift  was Rosalin herself — her warmth, her trust and the way she invited others into a moment of connection. 

“We may have hoped to brighten her day with flowers, but Rosalin multiplied that joy many times over,” Kelly  said. “Her presence filled the halls with something special that outlived the blooms: a reminder that kindness,  friendship and love can appear in the most unexpected and beautiful ways.” 

“Hope Blooms brings something truly special into our community. You can see it in the way our residents  light up, how they engage and how they connect. These aren’t just flowers, they’re meaningful interactions  that stay with our residents long after the visit ends,” said Haley Bakke-Hanson, resident services manager at  Maple View Memory Care. 

“We’re so grateful we had the chance to meet Rosalin and walk alongside her for a while,” Kelly shared. Moments like this are at the heart of the Hope Blooms mission. When flowers are shared, they often open  the door to something even more meaningful — connection, belonging and the simple reminder that every  person matters. 

Your support helps create more moments like Rosalin’s. Together, we can continue sharing flowers and the joy  that grows from them.