After being in the flower business for some 30 years now, I have heard many comments made about the reasons people give flowers to one another.
The first thing that comes to mind is giving flowers to someone because you love them. Certainly this is true because of the number of red roses that I have seen go out of our flower shop over the years. Whether the love is new and the person giving the buds is only in his or her teens, or one is middle age and giving the gift of roses as a reminder that their love is still alive and real after years of being together, love motivates many individuals to present flowers to his or her significant other.
I suppose the next thing that comes to mind is the act of giving flowers as a gift of remembrance, or as a memorial to a loved one who is deceased and no longer a daily part of one’s life. Such a gift serves as a reminder of how much the individual meant to us and serves as testimony to the family of our love for them as they grieve the loss of their loved one. While some consider the giving of flowers a waste of money, I am reminded of how much the flowers meant to our family with the passing of our mother and father. The beauty and the grace of each blossom reminded us of the beauty and love shown to us by those who gave us the gift of life itself. And even today, seven years after the passing of our oldest sister, I still water and care for the kalanchoe plant that was given to our family as a gift of remembrance and love in honor of our sister Shelby.
There are also other milestones that prompt many to give the gift of flowers. People celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, retirements, and other significant events throughout their lives and flowers provide the perfect gift for that special occasion. When one considers the beautiful bouquets carried by brides’ and grooms as each makes their way down the aisle, flowers mark that celebration as a reminder of such a special day. Also, as individuals are handed a diploma for years of hard work and dedication, many mark the celebration with the gift of a flower that signifies the dawning of a new day and a new path that opens before him or her, just as a flower blossom opens before the warmth of the sun that shines upon it. There is so much symbolism that becomes part of the act of giving a flower that the flower itself seems to speak the words that one often struggles to express.
With that in mind, I would also like to suggest another reason for giving the gift of flowers; the fact that giving flowers should also be an act that is simply fun! After all, nothing is more fun than to see one’s face light up as you surprise them with an unexpected present that brings an immediate smile of gratification. Consider the gift of flowers and a special vase, the gift of flowers and a special mug, the gift of flowers and a special action figure, the gift of flowers and a special surprise of which you are the only one aware, or even the gift of flowers and attached to it is a special piece of jewelry that becomes a life-changing proposal. Image the fun of giving a novelty container that reflects a person’s profession, hobby, special interest, club membership, sport or sport’s team. The look of surprise on his or her face will be a memory that will be forever treasured as one of those special life moments!
So please, even though there are a multitude of reasons for which to give the gift of flowers, consider giving them also for one simple reason: it is just plain fun!
