My 14-year old daughter was Lady Rose in her school play this past weekend. As is custom, I thought I'd present her with flowers post-performance. I didn't think of this until the last minute, so right after I dropped her off for cast call I made the laborious, traffic-laden drive north, in Friday night rush hour, back up to Lewis Center to Connell's Maple Lee, a great florist which, wouldn't you know, used to be located just blocks from her school.
I blew in 5 minutes before they closed, apologizing profusely, and they most graciously did not turn me away. I'd been thinking of roses; the logical choice given her character's name. But these gorgeous, giant Gerbera daisies caught my eye. Perfect. Big, colorful, and bold - much more suited to a bright young lady with her whole future ahead of her than the more staid rose.
After some hemming and hawing over color, I finally settled on this beautiful pink. Girly, cheerful, blushing pink.
In a conversation about completely unrelated subjects, I heard of a local business (A Rose Full of Memories) that makes glass beads out of flower petals. I thought that would be a perfect confirmation gift for my sweet girl - a rosary made from the petals of the flowers given her for her beautiful and perfect performance in her play in her 8th grade year. Her last year at a wonderful school where she felt safe, cared for, and nurtured. Where she blossomed into the brave, academically accomplished, tender-hearted, talented girl she is today. When she's on to larger gardens and uses this rosary, thumbing the beads that enshrine the petals of her 8th grade year, I hope she fondly remembers where she is rooted, and who tended those roots.
Some photos of the three daisies and my Rose before they make their transformation:
