Who Sells a Peony for Another to Buy?

Last week, while scrolling Threads, I came across this photo and was immediately drawn to the beautiful flowers. Sadly, the post was shared by someone who seemed upset – because, like me, she saw a picture of beautiful flowers and decided to order them from a flower shop, but the bouquet she received didn’t meet her expectations.

I didn’t have time to read the whole story, didn’t really know who was right or wrong. I just quickly took a screenshot with the spontaneous idea to paint it and gift it to the person who ordered the flowers. But right after that, something interrupted me, and I didn’t get a chance to read more or save the post. I put my phone down, and when I came back, I accidentally refreshed the app and couldn’t find the post anymore.

Over the holidays, I painted it slowly, taking my time and having fun. I just finished it today. Now I’m asking for help: if anyone knows who the girl was that ordered this bouquet and was unhappy with it, please help me get in touch so I can gift her this painting.

I rarely give away my paintings – especially to strangers, I’ve actually never done that before. But for some reason, I just wanted to turn an unpleasant experience into a beautiful memory for her.

Life can’t avoid unwanted things. But sometimes, accepting those unpleasant things can open a door to something unexpectedly interesting. Over the past year, I’ve faced a lot of setbacks myself. I didn’t fight them – though that doesn’t mean I agreed with misfortunes or ugliness – but I’ve come to understand that accepting them is part of living and growing. Only then can the heart find peace.

I don’t know what really happened between the flower shop and this person. Regardless, I still want to give her this painting and ask the shop for permission to use the original photo as reference. Whether I can contact her or not, since I painted from a shop photo without asking first, this painting will never be used for any commercial purpose. I just hope the painting finds its way to the person it was meant for.

I posted this story on Threads, and just one day later, I found the girl. She messaged me, and we agreed to meet on a day soon – when the painting is dry – so I can give it to her in person.

The most touching part? She sent me a long message, including this paragraph:
“But when I read your post today, I honestly felt a shift. I feel like I should take a step back, just like you said, because it’s really not such a big deal. Thank you so much. I’m even more grateful now. This wasn’t just about a bouquet – it’s a lesson and a piece of advice I’ll carry with me.”

So, I guess the painting did do something after all.
Don’t you think?
And it also caught the attention of an international collector when I posted it on Facebook. That’s why I decided to title this little story: ‘Who Sells a Peony for Another to Buy?’ (Vietnamese: “Mẫu đơn ai bán mà mua“) — just for fun. 😊