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April 2, 2011 A rose for Audrey
* Hi friends. I just found this in my drafts. I thought I posted this April 4th. |
Days like yesterday are just the kind that really make me think of her. Wonder what she would look like now and what I would have her wear? My brother got married and with that comes family photos. From time to time I wondered how we would include Audrey. Early on in my blog journey I decided that pink roses are kind of
her thing. Only Jamie knew of my idea to have a pink rose to represent her in our future family photos. One of my tasks as a bridesmaid was to arrange some flowers to be used as a background for the ceremony. Some happened to be roses and pink roses. Perfect. I decided that would work very well,( I wouldn't need to go buy one on the way) I could discreetly pull one out of a vase and hold it -especially since I was the person who arranged them that's justified right?-use it for our portion of family pics then return it. And so I did. I told my mom I planned to do this, but no one else. As I stepped off the stage I laid the flower at my neieces' feet as they were taking pictures of just the grand kids. My sister in law bride caught a glimpse of this and said with tears welling up in her eyes, "I know what that's about and I love it." Surprised by this and tears welling I said "For Audrey." She said, "That's what all those flowers are for, hence the term memory flowers, and I had a specific rose in mind for her, one that is a little more delicate pink and perfect." I had no idea that the flowers I was arranging were to represent loved ones lost.I hadn't hear them referred to as memory flowers. What a gift. And to think, she didn't even know at the time what pink roses mean to me- or so I thought. It is because of my brother that I ever chose pink roses as our thing to remember her by, it's because he brought me 2 dozen of them when I was admitted to the hospital before she was born (the only time I had ever been given 2 dozen roses!). And naturally they became her funeral flower, the ones people sent and the donated casket spray that I had no part in choosing. Sister in law bride also said "And we brought 2 dozen roses again when Naomi was born, on purpose." I had been wondering about that. It meant so much to me and I figured that was our little gift from God, but had no idea it was intentional. And as if she didn't have enough going on during her wedding day, she tracked my down just before we said our goodbyes and gave me perfect pink rose she chose for Audrey. I am so glad we just received such a caring and into-the-details kind of woman to our family!
