To the Editor:

The first occurrence of each and every weekday is my alarm clock going off in Norwood at 6:35am. My commute to Canton, as the crow flies, lasts 28 minutes. As I am not a crow, I might stop for breakfast, dining on a bright green lawn beside a gas station. Work then starts at my accountant’s desk.

For the next three and a half hours, the repetitions and tasks of modern office work occupy my thoughts. Those 210 minutes of life are ruled by photocopies, emails, excel-spreadsheets, meetings, phone calls, and pdf documents.

But then it’s time to take lunch. And during those sacred 60 minutes of leisure in a day of labor, I make a point of stepping outside for some much-needed fresh air and exercise.

To start lunch, I launch out the back door of the office like a ship leaving port, checking before departure whether or not I ought bring a coat for warmth or an umbrella for dryness on my voyage. Then I walk the pleasurable walk I have walked hundreds of times on hundreds of lunch breaks, winding my way towards Canton’s restaurant district. On this well-trod path, I round the corner of Chapel and Court street, and there I encounter a treasure.

12 Chapel Street. A gorgeous residence, a welcome sight, an oasis, a work of art. The bright red door stands out like a crimson firework complimenting the cool grey of the house’s walls. Six well painted white framed windows surround the red door, like soldiers escorting their monarch. But the real crowning glory is the garden. A veritable Eden of flowers, bushes, and assorted lawn-work surround this castle with a moat of botanical beauty.

On first pass, this home’s beauty looks effortless. But I know better. On my hundreds of walks over the past two years I have watched the resident gardener, a cheerful and distinguished looking lady, cultivate this beauty through diligence. I’ve seen her mow grass and water flowers in Spring. Seen her shovel snow and salt ice in Winter.

Though I don’t know her name, her talent for creating beauty has become a life-giving constant in my life. The Sun may light the day, and the moon the night, but 12 Chapel Street shines the light of joy on my lunch breaks.

Canton should give this Gardener of Gardeners a medal. I give her my sincere thanks.

Silas Smith
Norwood