A Rose

Some say roses are ornamental flowers; which is akin to saying a garden is dirt; less informative and even less esthetic. However, to give or receive a rose—or a dozen—speaks volumes! Paige’s mother loved roses! Especially red roses. She said, “Roses do not last very long, but they say so much while they are here!” The last lines in Bette Midler’s rendition of The Rose echo the enchanting voice of a rose. The message is intense: When the night has been too lonely And the road has been too long. And you think that love is only For the lucky and the strong. Just remember in the winter Far beneath the bitter snows Lies the seed that with the sun’s love In the spring becomes the rose.

This Winter has had its moments; it was ushered in by bitter cold (for our area), and snow—followed by four-seasons-a-week–up till now, anyway. And. The groundhog couldn’t figure out Winter’s conclusion—he was everywhere different. But what a hopeful phrase with which the song ends; Far beneath the bitter snows Lies the seed that with the sun’s love In the spring becomes the rose.

St. Valentine’s Day is February 14, just a few days away. St. Valentine’s Day means—in a manner of speaking—“Roses.” They are used in many ways; most often to represent love. Apparently, roses were the favourite flower, of Venus, the Goddess of Love: She believed that they stood for strong feelings. From this, people started giving roses to those they cared about as an expression of their love.

St. Valentine’s Day is named for a Roman Catholic priest and physician around the second and third century. Some say he suffered martyrdom during persecution of Christians. How he became the symbol of love and sweethearts is a little gauzy. A couple of legends about St. Valentine catch my fancy; So Dear Reader, I pass these two on to you; Legend 1) He healed his jailer’s daughter of blindness, and befriended her. He sent her a letter which he signed, “Your Valentine.” Legend 2) He secretly married young couples so the husbands wouldn’t be forced to go to war. This defied the emperor’s orders. This legend seems to carry more romantic fragrance or amour than the first legend. So I’ll go with number two.

An embarrassing experience taught me the exquisite and significant nuances of roses. I mentioned earlier how my mother-in-law revered red roses. Well. She passed that deep sentiment on to her daughter. At first I only got part of the message; Paige liked red roses. So right away I started sending a bouquet of red roses to her for our anniversary and on St. Valentine’s Day. I soon learned you have to order red roses well ahead of time as Valentine’s Day approaches; That year the florist was out of red roses, so I brought substitute flowers. I immediately saw the disappointment on Paige’s face. I never again missed ordering the red roses in plenty of time.

When you care deeply about someone it shows; a rose, a hug, even tears. There is a poignant mention of Jesus’ tears in the Gospel of John, when he learned about the death of his dear friend. Hallmark’s motto expresses caring well; “When You Care Enough to Send The Very Best!” When planning and preparing a meal for someone special, you choose carefully the ingredients; fresh, delectable components to make the meal savory. You want to offer the very best. Words tend simply to fail at expressing the beauty and sensitivity to some things: A rose is one of those things.