Husband’s daffodil bouquet for his wife was delivered after he passed away — so she honored him in a special way
Gifts from loved ones can mean everything, but receiving an unexpected gift from a deceased person can be heartbreaking. When Marilyn's birthday approached, the last thing she had expected was to receive a surprise her late husband had planned 6 months before his demise. The thoughtful gift made her honor her husband, per Good News Network on November 22, 2025.
Before his death, Stephen Cudmore knew that he wouldn't be able to make it till his wife Marilyn's birthday. But he wanted to make it special, so he arranged a delivery of daffodils for his wife's next birthday. On Marilyn's birthday, when she received the bouquet of beautiful yellow flowers, she remembered how peaceful her late husband was. "Hello beautiful! Happy birthday, Steve," the note on the bouquet read.
Having received a thoughtful gift from her love, she wanted to honor her husband in the best way possible. Marilyn decided to buy a hundred different bulbs of the daffodil flower and planted them, as it reminded her of the time her husband sat next to the window, staring outside through the window, smiling at the daffodils. She planted them along her East Sooke, British Columbia, a town which is about 26 miles west of Victoria.
Marilyn's thought of turning her grief into something meaningful is highlighted in the 2021 study in the Indian Journal of Positive Psychology by Manya Singh, which explored continuing bonds through meaningful gestures as a core coping mechanism for individuals experiencing grief. By turning a heartbreak into something precious to let people witness the bond between her husband and her love, Marilyn's act of honoring inspires people who are going through grief.
Marilyn's friends from her book club joined her in the heartwarming mission. The small initiative grew into an annual event, with the bulbs now going into the ground farther away from the couple's home. The group who jokingly call themselves the Spade Maids recently gathered on Steve's birthday, October 26th, to plant this year’s daffodil crop. Calling it a memorial that brings joy, Marilyn said, "I'd love for people to be able to drive down East Sooke Road in March and April and just see the blooms." But beyond the flowers she planted, Marilyn does not fail to receive Steve's pre-arranged flowers on her birthday every year.
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