A Heavenly Blue Good-Bye
Al’s memorial service was in 45 minutes and I was without flowers. I’d been to several florist shops and combed the Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½Sympathy’ section of FTD Online. There was nothing I really liked for less than a hundred dollars; which I didn’t have. Now I was driving to the Chapel of the Holy Eucharist, desperate for a solution to my floral dilemma.
My best friend’s Dad had passed and I wanted to show my respect, but how? I’d been giving this up to God for a few days now, but when I asked this time, the vision of the nursery at Four Corners came to mind as the place where I’d find what I needed. I had never been there, but I drove with deliberation, my heart an open prayer for Al and Jan and their family. The lot was deserted when I arrived. Hoping for something fresh and alive, I looked over the little trees and other plants outside, but nothing caught my eye.
I entered the shop still not seeing anything that would do, but drawn to the deep, heavenly blue and silver Christmas decoration display. I tried again outside – nothing. There was barely enough time for my short drive to the church and I was still empty-handed. Praying once more, I went back inside to the blue and silver display, maybe there was something there.
Immediately, three large pots of white cyclamen caught my eye. Had they been there a moment before? My creative juices began to flow. I gathered the loveliest pot of those white, exotic looking flowers, a beautiful blue and silver star and some silver French-wired ribbon with Snowflakes woven into it and asked the florist to put it all together.
His eyes twinkled as he quickly found a beautiful white basket and three silvery-blue, feathery soft flowing tinsel stakes. He placed the blooms into the basket and tucked the feathery bits behind, setting them off. Then a few deft twists and french-wired velvet snowflakes garlanded the basket. It was done and it was beautiful!
I drove quickly to the church and was greeted outside by Jan’s daughters, Ashley and Courtney and we hugged. Courtney took the flowers into the chapel while I spoke a little with some of Al’s family; then went inside and found my seat.
Once seated, I looked around the chapel and realized how inspired my floral purchase had been. The chapel’s interior was designed with the same heavenly blue and silver I had chosen for the floral arrangement just minutes before! And there, on an altar table beside a large photo of Al and a silver candelabra; stood my cyclamen – in the place of honor.
And I prayed thank You for the flowers, Thank You for Al and his wife Edie and all of the wonderful times I had enjoyed in their company.
And I prayed Good-Bye.
2/01
