Flowers

Flowers, the universal symbol of love, bring to mind the happiest and the saddest of occasions. Each flower's scent and appearance recall intense memories, and ultimately, I smile. One of my favorite flowers is the gardenia, luminously white with an exquisite fragrance.Gardenias set on the church altar for my wedding. Also,they were my mother's favorite flower; she carried them for her wedding bouquet.When mom died, my sister and I bought gardenias for the funeral. I pressed one of those flowers in the family Bible. Whenever I see a gardenia or smell a perfume or soap made with it, I fondly remember my dearest mother. Another favorite flower of mine is the yellow rose which represents one of my sororities, Beta Sigma Phi, and that flower in all its shades, always brightens my day. Yes, I know that fresh cut flowers eventually decay, but I truly enjoy having them in the house. That said, I also enjoy the silk bouquets and arrangements which I still have, marking births,deaths, illness,etc. My sister made my bridal bouquet of cream and lavender colored silk flowers , and I treasure it as a keepsake. After all, I have a brown - not green- thumb. In addition, over the years, I have received many beautiful bouquets from Alfredo. After 40 years together I can't count them all. They just blur into one big smile of love. So you can imagine how much I enjoy going to the botanical gardens. It's lush and the abundance of flora is stunning and beautiful. I especially like sitting in the serene Japanese Garden, and the truly lovely orchid conservatory takes my breath away.By the way, orchids alway make me think of my favorite cartoon strip when I was growing up ,"Brenda Starr ". I loved the mysterious, debonair character Basil St.John who wore a patch on his eye and grew black orchids. Orchids, so elegant and delicate, also remind me of my first time in Hawaii when I received an exquisite orchid lei upon arrival. I also had a bouquet of bird of paradise when I got to my room.Now there is an exceptional flower. Lilacs remind me of my parents' backyard. Wisteria and magnolias shout Georgia. Tulips give me Michigan thoughts.Hibiscus reminds me of Mexico and Colombia. And dandelions were the first "flowers" I would pick for my mommy when I was a tyke. Ah, what wonderful memories are tied to flowers. I even enjoy taking flowers to the cemetery , a way of honoring my deceased loved ones; I find that experience joyful not maudlin.Some people see getting or giing flowers as a cliche and overused gift, but I guess I feel like you can never have too much beauty surrounding you and your senses. However,I rarely buy flowers for myself, so I'm going to the market tomorrow and get some.