The Powers of Flowers 

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.