Any hint of sun had been swallowed up in the starless night. Pushing my shopping basket while trying to recall the location of my silver Chevy which I couldn’t see, I did take notice of a guy about 20 feet in front of me.
It wasn’t the grocery bag he carried which caught my attention. It was the bouquet protruding from whatever was hidden inside the brown plastic bag.
Two thoughts chased each other through my brain.
The first, “I wonder if he’s in trouble”. (Is that what you thought?)
A heartbeat later emerged, “I hope not”.
The second thought had nothing to do with him being in trouble. My hope is the gentleman purchased the bouquet as a romantic gift for his sweetheart with no concealed motive.
Flowers have been used to convey romantic messages since the reign of Queen Victoria in England. Under her rule, there was a strong emphasis on morality, which restricted public conduct between people. Thus, her subjects began using the scent of flowers to communicate romance, which they dare not reveal openly.
Today, people abuse the romantic act of a floral bouquet when they attempt to use flowers to appease their sweetheart or circumvent the difficult task of repairing a damaged relationship. It’s possible to squander this and other romantic acts by infusing it with an underhanded, non-romantic motive.
I hope the gentleman in the parking lot was not in trouble. My wish is he:
- Purchased the bouquet purely to romance his sweetheart;
- Knows his sweetheart prefers to be romanced with little gifts; and
- Long ago learned this floral species is his sweetheart’s favorite.
Don’t ruin a romantic moment with an ulterior motive. Create the romantic gesture purely for the purpose of romancing your sweetheart. Robert
