May I share a little beauty with you today, right here, right now?

Might you rest your eyes on the beauty of the natural world?

The gorgeousness of flowers.

May I share some of their exquisiteness with you?

When I marvel at the day, I may at the same time also feel weary. One form of medicine for me is gazing at flowers. 

I seek them out. I see them peeking out through places perhaps never intended for them to grow. I take a moment at the grocery store to walk to the flower section to greet them, and I say silently, “hello flowers, I see you. Thank you for your existence in this precious world.”

When I arrange flowers, or photograph flowers, or gift flowers, I connect with them in a way I’ve previously mentioned here, in my first blog post for Viewfinders when I was a guest of the wonderful Holly Clark. 

My relationship with flowers continues, and there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think about them.

I see flowers in hospital gift shops that are waiting to show someone they are thought of. I am deeply touched by flowers given to my mom from my sisters, other family, and friends. The bouquets bring her so much joy and touch me equally as deeply. 

I am not sure how I came into the world of flowers but I do recall when I was younger, being influenced by the magnificence of my grandfather and step-grandmother’s garden. In their later years, they had someone live with them, and one way he helped was through gardening and keeping up their yard. He even had dozens of flowers growing on the roof in pots. I thought it was quite normal until I realized no other homes had full gardens springing up from their rooftops. 

My other grandmother’s yard consisted of a green lawn and bushes. Perhaps others wouldn’t call it a garden as there wasn’t anything she intentionally planted. However, at the border of her yard and the neighbor’s, there was a scattering of tiny lily-of-the-valley flowers. As a child kneeling down and playing on the green grass, I saw these white fairy-like flowers as magical, and they have remained one of my favorite flowers. Maybe my love for flowers started then, when the flowers spoke to me. They continue to say: “We are here for you. Ready to be noticed when you might need a moment of quiet in your busy mind and, in this marvelous, inspiring and often complicated world.”

Flowers are a way to touch someone’s heart, to express deep connection, friendship and love. If you are in need of some beauty in your life, I encourage buying flowers for yourself. You deserve having a reminder inside, of the beauty growing outside. 

With hope, Carolyn