Valentine’s Day is a time to spread love, but Mercer University freshman Ryleigh Sandefur took it to the next level.
Under the alias of her Instagram handle, @slowdownlivefully, Sandefur taped two flower bouquets around campus — one on a pole in Cruz Plaza and another on a pole in Tattnall Square Park. Each bouquet included a message that read: “Take 1 for you or your love.”
The idea was simple — take a flower for yourself or give one to someone you care about.
Sandefur said she was inspired by photos she saw years ago on Pinterest of people leaving flower bouquets for strangers and thought it would be a great way to make people smile on Mercer’s campus during Valentine’s Day.
The response from the student body was immediate and heartwarming as more and more flowers disappeared throughout the day.
One student, freshman Annalynn Waddy, said the gesture caught her attention and made her smile. After seeing the flowers in Cruz Plaza, she followed Sandefur’s Instagram account.
“I thought it was wonderful that someone would go out of their way to brighten someone’s day like that,” Waddy said. “Everyone’s so busy now that you don’t expect much interaction or thought from others, but this was the opposite. Flowers are the perfect way to raise spirits.”
This isn’t the first time Sandefur has led a kindness initiative. In her hometown of Savannah, Georgia, she posted handwritten signs and cards around town with the intention of brightening someone’s day.
Sandefur said she’s always believed in spreading love and treating others the way she’d like to be treated.
“It is truly a shame that there are people who were never taught to love,” she said. “I want to be able to help someone if they need to learn that lesson, or even if they are just having a bad day. No one should be without love or joy, and if me taking a couple minutes out of my day to write a little note or pass out flowers provides someone with a sense of joy, I would do it with every second of my life.”
Spreading kindness gives Sandefur a sense of purpose. Through her Instagram account, she’s able to center her efforts around that mission and measure her outreach. It also holds her accountable to her New Year’s resolution: to slow down and live life more fully. In the past, Sandefur says she’s sped through things and gave up the chance to truly enjoy life experiences, so her focus with her Instagram account is to encourage herself and others to live life to the fullest.
Though her Instagram account is still new, Sandefur has already gained several followers who believe in her message. One of them, freshman Natalie Edwards, said the flower bouquets around campus made her stop and reflect on Sandefur’s message.
“I love the idea of slowing down and living fully as a college student, because sometimes I find it very hard in my day — with classes, labs, friends and studying — to slow down and just think about where I’m at and how I should be living to my fullest potential,” Edwards said.
The ripple effect of positivity that started with Sandefur’s gesture has not gone unnoticed. Since the Valentine’s Day drop, she’s noticed sticky notes and posters around campus spreading more positive messages. She said it’s only motivated her to continue doing more “drops.”
“My plan moving forward is to continue spreading joy, smiles and happiness. I’m going to keep putting out messages that uplift — through flowers, cards, posters, sticky notes, really any means necessary,” Sandefur said.
The Valentine’s Day drop was only the beginning. As finals approach, Sandefur said she is planning for her next drop — a dose of kindness just when Mercer students might need it most.
