The Pilgrimage and the Pound of Pecans

It started six years ago. A simple phone call. "Do you deliver?" If you know me well, you probably know that 99% of the time my answer is "Nope.  I'm a wedding florist, i don't do deliveries." But that December day, something made me say yes. Perhaps it was the sadness in the customer's voice. "I live out of state and I can't find any florist who will deliver flowers to my son's grave in Colorado."  I have no idea why i said yes, but i did. I think it was just meant to be.

A few days after the phone call, a package arrived from the customer. inside, i found payment and two items to attach to the flowers, a small angel statue and a letter addressed to the customer's son. "my beloved son Andrew." my heart melted.

So on the anniversary of Andrew's death, i drive 45 minutes to make my delivery. its cold. 20 degrees cold and there were 6 inches of fresh, freezing snow blanketing the entire cemetery. the headstones were flat, and i see nothing but snow. fresh, freezing cold snow. finding that grave was like a needle in a haystack. but after 3 trips to the cemetery office, a scribbly hand drawn map from the receptionist, frozen fingers and toes and a prayer whispered up to the heavens,(along with a few choice words,) i found the grave. mission accomplished.

the following december, i received the same phone call, the same package with payment, an angel, and the same heart-wrenching-grieving mother letter and a bag of pecans. homegrown. texas pecans from the customer's tree. for me. the pecans were for me. my heart was mush.

fast forward to today. today was my 12th delivery to Andrew's grave. i deliver flowers on his birthday and on the anniversary of his death. it has become my pilgrimage. today i honor Andrew and his grieving Mother. i can never ease this mother's pain, but i can be her messenger and i can deliver her letters of love attached to those beautiful bouquets of flowers.

Being a florist is not just about arranging pretty flowers in a vase, its about celebrating the circle of life. - Sarah