This past holiday season, we received the most unexpected and delightful gift of all: 1,000 copies of Miss Dorothy’s Garden delivered more than two weeks ahead of schedule—straight from our printer in China.

We had braced ourselves for a January 2025 arrival, but on a December evening, we opened our front door and discovered a mountain of boxes in the foyer. It felt like Christmas magic.

Miss Dorothy herself was the first to respond to the news. At 100 years old, she braved the winter chill, got dressed, and insisted on coming downstairs to see it all for herself. Though she couldn’t help me move the boxes—though I know she wanted to—she stood watch as I made trip after trip, her excitement as visible as her warm winter coat.

Then came the moment that stopped me in my tracks: she sat down, opened the book, and began flipping through the pages. When she reached the end, she looked up and said, “It’s about me.”

Until then, I wasn’t sure she fully grasped the project. Over the 18-month journey, she’d gladly met the illustrator on Zoom and patiently entertained my updates, but I couldn’t tell if she understood what this book really meant.

At her 100th birthday, she briefly saw the proof copy, but the joy of surprise guests, family hugs, and nonstop celebration clouded that memory. But this time, holding the finished book in her hands, it clicked. And just like that, she began telling her friends about it with pride and sparkle in her eyes. Her

story. Her garden. A legacy of kindness in full bloom.

We had originally resigned ourselves to the idea that we had missed the Christmas shopping season. But God had other plans. We were able to pack, ship, and deliver every preorder and donor copy in time for Christmas—a true miracle that reminded us of the power of timing and community.

Hauling those packages to the post office was a labor of love. Each box represented the generosity of friends and family who believed in the vision before the first page was even printed. Without them, this book—and this moment—would not have been possible.

And so, with hearts full and hands busy, we celebrated a Christmas delivery that meant more than we could have imagined. Not just books. Not just a legacy. But kindness—wrapped in every page, and sent with love.