Monday, July 17, 2017

Flowers For The Living

When people die, the ones they leave behind order sprays (or bouquets or baskets) to be sent to the funeral home. I find that rather odd. 

Recently when my sweetheart passed away the burial was to be at a veterans cemetery. The cemetery does not allow baskets or vases to be placed on the grave immediately after burial. Only sprays, which I assume they fold the stands so that they are ground level. So, there were few flowers at the funeral home. I had bought a vase of lilies with two red roses in the center (he loved to give me red roses so that was my way of honoring his sweet gestures) 



After the funeral was over, I brought that vase of flowers home and enjoyed them for days to come.

My point is this..........

Why do people wait until someone dies to buy them flowers? How often do we say 'Oh, I'll send those flowers, write a letter, visit, make a call, tell them I love them?"  We put off doing those things and then they are gone and it is too late. 

I have a book on my bookshelf (a gift from my son) titled '30 Lessons For Living' where Karl Pillemer interviewed countless elderly people about how they lived their lives and the lessons they could pass on to others. 

One quote from an old gentleman .... "Send flowers to the living. The dead never see them"

Amen to that one. 

7 comments:

  1. Latane, such a sweet post. We all need to remember to let people know we care. Continued prayers for you as you adjust to life without your Sweetheart.

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  2. Yours was such a beautiful bouquet. I think the flowers we give in honor of the dearly departed are truly for those at the services. It would be very bleak without them. We don't need elaborate bouquets or massive amounts, but flowers remind me of Heaven.

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  3. Latane, you read my thoughts exactly on this subject. I would always give my late mother flowers and she would always ask me "why?" I persisted in sending them to her for every birthday, holiday of special occasion. And, I would tell her that I didn't give flowers to dead people because they could not enjoy them. She always did enjoy the flowers, and I also did have an arrangement at her services. To this day, I still give a donation for flowers on her birthday, Christmas and Mother's Day to the church we attended as a family. I like to know that others are enjoying them still.

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  4. Latane, this is a sweet post with such an important sentiment. We need to appreciate each other more, while we are living.

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  5. Why do people wait until someone dies to give them flowers? Why indeed!! As you say, the dead can't appreciate them so give flowers/gifts to your loved ones now!

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  6. A sentiment I totally agree with...flowers are for the living. A beautiful bouquet with memories linked to your sweetheart. You are in my prayers.

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  7. I agree! I remember Grandmother saying that too. I love flowers but generally have to buy my own. :-) Went to Lowes yesterday and bought some soil and another hummingbird feeder, but I also just had to get a few plants! I bought a larkspur and a hydrangea! The larkspur can live in a pot on the deck, but I want to put the hydrangea in the ground, and need to fix a really good spot for it to be protected from he deer and bunnies! Plan to move the lilac that is under my bedroom window because it isn't getting enough sun, plus the bunny ate the lilies I put there so I want to fix a better circular area in better sun for the lilac and this new hydrangea. Wish me luck! :-)

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