8 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 

for openers

Spreading Happiness with Flowers
A

llow me to 
introduce my 
fabulous cousin 
Feiga Bowick, LLMSW. She’s 
a geriatric social worker, 
currently working as resident 
service coordinator at the 
Harriet and 
Ben Teitel 
Apartments, an 
independent 
senior living 
community 
(part of Jewish 
Senior Life) in 
Oak Park. 
Every Wednesday 
morning, this awesome 
mom of five can be seen 
dropping off her kids at 
school and then driving 
up to Trader Joe’s in Royal 
Oak, where between 15 
and 60+ gorgeous bouquets 
of flowers are waiting for 
her. Feiga fills up her trunk 
with the donated flowers 
and drives to work, first 
delivering bouquets to the 
residents who live at the 
Coville Assisted Living and 
Memory Care Apartments, 
the Anna and Meyer Prentis 
Apartments (independent 
senior living) and then “her” 
residents at Teitel.
In the almost four 
years since she began this 
program, thousands of 
bouquets have been divided 
and arranged by hundreds 
of senior residents. Once 
arranged into little vases, 
the flowers go on every 
tabletop space in the dining 
and living areas, adding 
charming pops of color 
throughout the building and 
being thoroughly enjoyed by 

everyone who sees them. 
Flower arranging 
originally appealed to Feiga 
because she realized that 
every resident was able to 
participate, regardless of 
their cognitive or physical 
limitations. One resident 
was over 100 years old, and 
blind — but even she was 
exclaiming at the texture 
and scent of the flowers. 
Another had lost the ability 
to speak, but was 
still touching and 
enjoying them. 
“There’s 
something about 
flowers,” Feiga 
mused. “When 
I’m carrying 
them, whoever I 
pass automatically 
smiles. People 
can’t help it. 
Flowers just make 
people happy.”
Even just one flower can 
do it! Recently one senior 
resident bought a bouquet 
of roses (“On sale for $2.99,” 
he later told Feiga proudly!), 
divided them up and gave 
a single rose to each Teitel 
staff worker with some 
genuine words of thanks. 
Feiga was so touched. 
“It’s just knowing that 
someone thought of me, that 
someone appreciates me,” 
she said. 
All in all, Wednesdays 
should be annoying for 
Feiga — heading out of her 
way, water spilling all over 
her car, such a shlep, what 
a hassle — but no, it’s her 
favorite day of the week. 
It helps that Trader Joe’s 

has a reputation 
for being all-
round awesome 
(long live their 
cherry chocolate 
chip soy ice 
cream!) — they 
even make Feiga 
feel like she’s 
doing them a favor by taking 
their leftover bouquets! 
Which makes Feiga come 
into work with her usual 
big heart overflowing and 
eager to make others feel 
good, and these smiles and 
good feelings continue to 
spread all day, all week, from 
resident to worker to visitor 
to volunteer and around 
the city, until the following 
Wednesday when the fresh 
batch of flowers arrives… 
This brings her so much joy 
because happiness, as we all 
know, comes from giving. 
“One thing I’ve learned 
from being a social worker is 
that people want to make an 
impact,” Feiga said. “There 
are so many amazing people 
with such huge hearts. 

Not everybody has to do a 
humungous sweeping mind-
blowing act of kindness 
every day. There are little 
ways to give to others that 
can literally change their 
world. We have no idea 
what’s going on in other 
people’s lives and can never 
know what difference even 
just a genuine smile, with 
eye contact, and a kind word 
can make.”
It has not been an easy 
year for anyone — from 
trying to figure out how to 
elbow bump friends from 
6 feet apart to how to open 
those plastic bags in the fruit 
and vegetable aisle without 
licking your finger, to say the 
least — but the year is finally 
ending.
Move over, COVID! 
We’re ready for small acts 
of kindness that keep on 
spreading and making the 
world a better and happier 
place for everyone to go viral 
now! 
Happy, healthy 2021 to 
everyone! 

Rochel 

Burstyn

VIEWS

Feiga Bowick

