Family First asked me to hang out in a flower shop and ask customers why they were buying their bouquets

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nce, I took my son fishing out on a beautiful dock, very close to sunset. I sat comfortably on the chair I keep in my trunk (I know, I’m smart like that. I’m a realtor, and it comes in handy more than you can imagine!) as my son set up the bait on his fishing rod and started fishing.

I was enjoying the gorgeous scenery, when a woman in her sixties walked past me and gave a sad smile. She was carrying a bunch of flowers, two heart-shaped balloons, and a bag.

She walked to the end of the dock to the lake and stood there for a long while. Then she emptied the bag into the water, threw the flowers in after it, and let the balloons go. She watched the balloons fly off into the sky and then turned and walked back toward her car. Her face was tear-streaked.

I knew I’d just witnessed an intimate moment. I wondered what the story behind her ritual was.

I thought of that incident when Family First asked me if I’d hang out in a florist one afternoon and observe the customers, find out why they were buying their bouquets, for whom they were.

And so on a random Tuesday, I went into a local florist (I’m from Lakewood), hungry for stories, excited to inhale the scent of a store full of flowers. I love flowers; their color and scent make me happy. I’m partial to pinks and purples (and peonies!), but I really do love and appreciate all of them.