Lady Bird
Cutting our trip to Austin short today. On our agenda for Thursday was a return visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and our first trip to the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum but when we heard late yesterday of Mrs. Johnson’s death, we decided to return home ahead of schedule. I admire very few women who live their lives in the public eye, but Mrs. Johnson was the exception. She used her position to beautify Texas and quietly place gladness in our hearts. Each time I pass a roadside spot dotted with Texas Bluebonnets or Indian Paintbrushes, I silently thank her for bringing such beauty into my life. My mother and I have taught my children the value of using native plants in our landscaping and the importance of beautifying a home with color. Mrs. Johnson helped extend the lesson that our home, our life extends past our yard into our neighbor’s yard and into the road beyond. Her impact is seen every day in many ways people may not immediately draw back to her. We should all learn a lesson from a quote she has placed on the wildflower center’s website:
“We are obligated to leave the country looking as good if not better than we found it.”
