Fair Trade in Bloom
Monday, June 14th, 2010Gifts are more precious when they are rare.
When we first opened the shop, I was looking for products as well as ways to make it a beautiful and attractive spot. One of our neighbors was selling a collection of plants he had grown, so we struck a deal and I offered some for sale while they greened up our store.
A few didn’t sell, including a little cactus which got moved time and again but never found a new home. For the last year a half, it sat, inscrutable and barely noticed, in a side window of the shop. Cacti like to be ignored, so it seemed happy enough to have water trickled on it once in a while.
When spring came this year, it developed a little bud on top. Not knowing much about cacti, I thought perhaps it was finally deciding to grow. Imagine my surprise when I came back from a long weekend and discovered a large pink bloom crowning my little cactus.
Surprise Bloom
It reminds me of the best attributes of Fair Trade. Fair Trade is most beneficial when it takes root and blooms in economic deserts where opportunity is scarce — in places where Fair Trade becomes a rare gift.