Eleanor Lawrie, Author

A lovely pink Gerbera and five proud Verona Tulips. It’s a beautiful  bouquet for the table. Flowers for my birthday; they were received with great joy and gratitude, but presented with even more. The giver’s eyes sparkled with such affection for this birthday girl; hearts feeling a deep satisfaction for, oh, so many reasons.

Having just moved to my daughter’s and son-in-law’s home, not only to be in a safe haven during Covid-19, protected and able to stay home, not having to venture out to shop for anything, but to stay here and be a permanent member of the household. This is a life change of real significance, and all of that came together with those simple blooms.

I’m so in love with this little bunch of flowers. How can I make them last forever?  I have my photos, and now I’m sharing them with you, my dear readers.

That tiny bouquet signals the end of too many unhappy years and the beginning of new hope. Even at this exalted age of 77, I have new hope. Even with Covid-19 hovering in our midst, I can still have new hope.

I hear laughter every day in this home. I even feel like contributing to that laughter and joining in. It’s a necessary part of life, an essential part of a happy life, and natural to a life filled with love.

Not only was there a special meal for my birthday; there was a wonderful layer cake, made that morning, and iced while we watched, letting dinner settle a bit. And we all celebrated that cake as a big occasion for my daughter, even though she is an amazing cook and baker. First time to make that kind of cake!! Now, that was also an event. A joyous event!

I want to show you the bouquet as it looked on its first day here. It’s so fresh and lovely, it’s balanced, it’s beautiful in every way.

But only one Gerbera and five tulips stayed strong long enough to grace our table over a week later.

This is my wish for each and every one of you. Be the one Gerbera and five tulips. Stay strong in this highly difficult and stressful time for our families and friends and our world. Don’t think too much about the questions, just hang in there. Be a proud pink Gerbera. Be a strong and stubborn creamy-white Verona Tulip.