The Rooftop Garden

In the heart of a busy city, there lived an elderly woman who tended a rooftop garden above her apartment building. Every morning, she woke early to water her flowers, check the soil, and greet the sun as it dawned above the city skyline.

Her neighbour across the hall was a quiet man who rarely left his apartment. His window stared into an alley below; a narrow strip of cracked pavement, littered with trash and shadowed by the neighbouring buildings. It wasn't something he wanted to see. He kept his window shut and his curtains closed.

When the woman saw him, she tried to say hello, but he often avoided her. When he did speak, he complained about the noise, smell, and view of his apartment. Despite his cold demeanour, she tried to brighten his days by inviting him to visit her garden on the rooftop whenever she got the chance. The man, too focused on his unhappiness about the apartment, always declined.

One afternoon, the woman had a few relatives over and decided to bake some cookies for the occasion. After they left, she noticed she had baked too many. She knocked on her neighbour's door to offer him the rest. When he answered the door, she noticed the thick closed curtains, the stale air, and the television playing in the background.

Instead of giving him the cookies, she expressed how they had lived across one another for a long time, but she knew almost nothing about him. To get to know each other better, she asked him to join her for a cup of tea and cookies on the rooftop for just a few minutes.

Reluctantly, the man followed her upstairs. As they stepped onto the rooftop, the scent of jasmine, lilacs, and roses filled the air. The sunlight bathed the garden with warmth. The bright colours of the flowers swayed with the cool breeze. Butterflies gracefully fluttered from one bloom to another.

The man stood silently in awe, appreciating the garden, then asked, “How long has this been here?” “A long time,” the woman said. “I wanted to show you, but you were always busy.” The man had realized that while he was busy complaining about how he didn't like the apartment, she was busy growing a beautiful garden on its rooftop for all the people in the building to enjoy.

After a nice conversation, the man thanked her for introducing herself and returned to his apartment. The next morning, on her way down after tending her garden, she saw the man returning with two big garbage bags. To her surprise, he had picked up the garbage in the alley outside his window.

With thousands of things constantly pulling on your attention, it’s easy to feel like you have no control over your environment; to fall victim to a routine you created. However, if you ever look at yourself in the mirror and wish you were further along than you are, know that the progress you're looking for demands you to be better than the environment you're in.

Throughout our lives, there are times when we need to adapt to the standards of the environment. However, there are also many times when we need to raise our standards and demand more from ourselves than what our environment requires of us; to be the kind of person that influences our environment for the better, rather than be influenced by it; to be a leader.

Being a leader isn't just about how it benefits you, but setting an example for how others can lead their lives. It makes the world a better place to live, not only for you, but for everyone you inspire. If you don't have anyone in your environment you can look up to, dare to become the person that others can look to.