Flowers for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has come and gone but the true spirit of the day must continue and flourish, growing stronger and gentler, with every passing day.

Just before the 14th my dear husband arrived home with a gorgeous bouquet of red and white flowers, an enormous white hydrangea in the center, topped off with a red heart.  Very spectacular even today as I glance over at them on the center of our dining room table.

  

 

 On Sunday, February 14, some of my extended family met for lunch at my sister Erica's favourite local restaurant -The Rendezvous.  Here is where I enjoyed my last lunch with her as she insisted on still celebrating my birthday, although two weeks early, since she knew she was getting weaker.  She passed away less than three weeks later.  What a brave, loving soul she was. 

After we had ordered Wilf quietly left the table returning about ten minutes later with a bouquet of three red roses, greens and baby's breath.  Taking two of the roses out he presented the rest of the flowers along with a kiss to his wife, Hedy, then a red rose for Peter in honour of Erica and one for me.  This was a beautiful symbolic act which I really treasure.  After our wonderful meal and time of interacting and bantering we left for the cemetery not far from there and watched as Peter gently laid the rose onto Erica's headstone.  It was lovely. 

Earlier that week my niece Bonnie came for tea and brought me a beautiful bouquet of coral coloured carnations.  It still is beautiful today. 

 

  

  

Picture of Bonnie taken at our extended family Christmas dinner.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  

But the greatest of these is love.  

1 Corinthians 13:13