Day Flowers Delivery

By Mary Beth Enggren

The most beautiful flowers are those that arrive for no special reason. The bouquet may be large and exotic or small and simple. When sending flowers, it truly is the thought that counts.

My most memorable flower bouquet arrived unexpectedly in my hotel room. At the time, I was literally a thousand miles away from home. My flight had been delayed by weather, sitting on the tarmac for six hours prior to takeoff, and circling the airport for another hour prior to landing. I finally checked into my hotel room well after midnight.

I was tired from the long flight and anxious about the presentation I was scheduled to conduct the next day. It was my first national conference. I knew no one out of the crowd of three-hundred registered participants. I opened the door to my room, bleary-eyed from the trip, knowing that I would need to spend several hours working on my presentation before I could rest.

A heavenly scent greeted me as I stepped through the door. I followed the scent to the sitting room and discovered a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. Bright pink and white Stargazer lilies flooded the room with fragrance, their beautifully striped petals curled back to allow their gorgeous smell to waft freely. Pale Cymbidium orchids nestled among the lilies contributed their delicate scent to the mixture. Pure white carnations, their ruffled faces peeking out from the bouquet, balanced the colors of the lilies and orchids. Fresh greens and baby’s breath rounded out the arrangement.

The flowers were a symphony for the senses. Their sweet fragrance soothed my travel-weary soul. The lovely colors brightened my mood. Suddenly, I was ready to spend the final few hours working on the morning’s presentation. Even before I unpacked, I pulled the card from the arrangement, wondering who had sent the flowers. The simple note brought a smile to my face and sustained me through the conference.

The note read, “Remember to breathe.” My best friend, knowing that I was approaching this conference with no small degree of trepidation, had sent the message.

Eric knew that I would be frazzled from the flight and worried about my presentation. He also knew that I was well prepared for the occasion. My topic was marketing, and my audience was comprised of individuals who had no marketing experience themselves. I had spearheaded the marketing program in my state for the past ten years, and looked forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with my audience. However, even my years of experience did not eliminate the butterflies in my stomach.

“Remember to breathe,” was Eric’s gentle reminder that I would not only survive my strange environment, but thrive. I simply needed to relax and enjoy myself.

While my business trip was not an “occasion” in the traditional sense of the word, Eric knew that a bouquet of flowers would strike the right note during my time of unease. The presentation went well. More importantly, each evening when I returned to my room, the heavenly scent of fresh flowers reminded me of my best friend’s confidence in my abilities.