Delivering smiles with flowers

But once he finds the right room, the reward is immediate. The reactions, he says, are a mix of surprise and delight.

“Quite often it’s, ‘Oh, are they for me?’” Patrick recalls, saying he has to handle each situation sensitively. 

The flowers usually come from family – sometimes from nearby, sometimes from the other side of the world. Patrick often hears small but powerful snippets of the recipient’s life story when he makes a delivery. 

“This is from my daughter in London,” one woman told him. Another might say of the person who sent the flowers, “She’ll be in later today.” 

Those brief comments, Patrick says, are special. 

On Mother’s Day especially, flowers become a tangible reminder that someone is thinking of them, even if they can’t be there in person. 

“It doesn’t really matter where they come from,” Patrick reflects. “Flowers are just a treat.” 

While much of Patrick’s work now involves aged care, his deliveries have taken him all over the region and introduced him to people with remarkable lives. One delivery still stands out: a woman in her 80s living on a small farm. 

“She told me I’d just caught her, as she was about to jump in the shower before going off to help with the milking,” Patrick says. “Her son had a dairy just across the road.” 

For Patrick, delivering flowers is more than just logistics. It’s a continuation of a lifetime of community involvement, including a long association with Rotary, and a way to stay active, connected, and useful in retirement. 

“You’re helping out a small business, and you’re putting a smile on people’s faces,” he says. “Sometimes you might even be the only person they see that day.” 

As Mother’s Day approaches, Patrick is ready once again to answer the call. He may not think of himself this way, but to many people in aged care and their families, he plays a role not unlike Santa Claus: arriving quietly, carrying a gift, and leaving joy behind.