Romancing the Rose

There are a handful of reasons people give flowers, particularly roses. They did something wrong and use them as an apology gift, are guilt-ed into it because it’s a socially acceptable holiday to do so (Valentine’s Day & anniversaries), to make someone sick feel better (because daisies and sunshine can solve a cold), and condolences (someone passed away). Yes, there are other reasons.

I’ve never really received flowers until recently. Sure, I’ve been handed a stray bouquet for graduating high school and a bunch of fresh cut tulips (my favorite) to brighten my room in college from a visiting friend. But not from boys or boyfriends. I still remember one of my college friends crossing campus with a huge bouquet for my roommate. (I still have pictures of him carrying them across the quad with an accompanying vase). She was thrilled, I was perplexed. It wasn’t an anniversary, he didn’t do anything wrong, what’s the reason? He said it was simply because he wanted to give her something nice.

My first thought, Really? People do that? It’s taken almost 10 years later, and I’m just finally on the receiving end of that curious anomaly.

Recently, I had a very frustrating day, and my boyfriend knew it. I came home to a miniature bouquet of wildflowers precariously perched into an English teacup.

Another day, he walked in with a handful of flowers, because he had grabbed everything to make dinner, saw them in the flower department, and thought I’d like them.

Then the other day he came home, exhausted and barely keeping his eyes open. And he handed me something – a single rose. So pretty, so simple, and for no reason at all but to give me a rose.

Which makes me think I don’t need a holiday or a reason to want flowers. I shouldn’t get upset that February rolls around and a bouquet isn’t waiting for me. Because when it really matters, in those tiny little moments, a single rose is way more important than any obligatory Valentine’s Day heart-shaped box of chocolates with an accompanying bouquet of roses. I’d rather take just one, on a random Saturday night.

Photo by Perfect Perceptions
Dress from Rent the Runway – Allison Parris, Winter Wonderland Dress