I’ve always been determined to insist that I don’t like receiving flowers. I mean, come on. You’re giving someone a present that, while it looks pretty to begin with, is actually dead, and will soon look that way. Flowers have absolutely no use at all, apart from looking pretty. And yeah, they do look pretty, but I can’t eat them, or drink them, so what should I do with them?
And there is more. After said flowers are presented, the girl must melt appropriately, while the guy puts on his pleased-as-punch face, and gives himself a pat on the back. Yet then, the girl must perform the following tasks: find the right sized vase, cut the stalks in a diagonal fashion, remove excess leaves, fill the water, add the special sachet, arrange the flowers… then every other day she should change the water… that is until they look flaky, then she muss toss them out – hopefully before they turn into disgusting, slimy, smelly creatures.
Receiving flowers requires work. In the grand scheme of things, not much work, but still… it kind of takes away the thankfulness one feels, bit by bit, day by day.
Yet, my husband is the flowers-giving kind of guy. And so I had to learn to love it. And to be honest, I do. But he’s not the birthday-flowers or i-did-something-wrong-flowers kind of guy, he’s the random-i-saw-these-and-thought-of-you-flowers kind of guy. Which is even better.
But recently my husband started doing something that made me rethink the way I feel about receiving flowers. Not only did hubby buy me flowers, he arranged them in the vase, already cut, already watered. He refilled the water multiple times over the course of the week, and after they started to look scrappy, he threw them away.
And I was like – now that is a gift!
Because it’s not just a one-off gift of flowers anymore, it’s a whole flower experience.
Every time I looked at those freshly watered tulips I felt adoration toward him that I didn’t have to worry about them. I could just enjoy them and the way they looked pretty. And when I came home one evening and they’d disappeared, I was so glad I didn’t have to deal with the slimy stalks, or cleaning the vase.
And maybe I’m not the only one who would appreciate this. So I’m passing on a tip, guys. If you’re going to give your girl the gift of flowers, consider turning it into an experience instead.
You’re welcome.
an aussie in austria 