A lot of people love flowers. I mean hundreds of thousands of them! (I’m from Brooklyn, New York so please excuse me if I don’t really share this appreciation.) This past weekend flower worshipers of the world united in the great city of Philadelphia at the convention center.
As at most religious services, there was reverence, admiration, revelation, introspection and then exult jubilation. I was in attendance at the invite of my sister-cousin, who for the past five years has faithfully attended the flower show. This was my third.
Although this really is not a blog about flowers, the flower show always provides my cousin and I the opportunity to meet and rediscover our relationship against the backdrop of overwhelming natural beauty. She lives in Maryland and I in New York. We have known each other our entire lives and we are now women of a “mature” age. We’ve had our ups and downs, lead hectic and demanding lives, endured divorce and survived childbirth. We are still figuring out what a mutually satisfying marriage is supposed to look like, while fighting to retain a personal sense of self. There is not always time to enjoy the simply beautiful.
Unlike my cousin, the flower show is not the biggest pull for me to Philadelphia at this time of the year. I don’t share the same awe and wonder as I take in each and every floral masterpiece. I will admit however, that each year I like it a little bit more (don’t tell my cousin).
The most anticipated part of the trip for me is the time we spend together.
There is laughter and amusement, story-telling and wise counsel. Times of reminiscing which could result in tears, wiped away by another conjured up memory. Our get togethers are rich with a deep sense of shared history and there is a strengthening of our bond of sisterhood. We are also able to capture something of our former singleness, as we eat out for every meal and return to our semi-fancy hotel room. The entire experience is worth every penny we pay.
If you are considering embarking on a simpler way of life don’t eliminate the must-haves. In my life that is increasingly beginning to mean the things you can’t put a price on. Consider today a relationship which was once important but life’s demands has drained you of the energy to maintain it or maybe your financial concerns have cautioned you about further investing. A meal, a cup of coffee, a walk or even a day at the flower show might produce a beautiful bloom in the garden of your life.
Enjoy the Simple Things! 