Upon further reflection, I’ve decided that I don’t understand the practice of giving flowers at a funeral.
On the day itself, they are beautiful and I was deeply touched by the gesture (and deeply in need of seeing how much my mother was supported and loved).
But as the days pass, the flower arrangements become something that you desperately but futilely attempt to care for until they wither and die before your eyes.
It seems like the last thing I really want to be reminded of.
That’s rough. I’m sorry for your loss.
To break the mood, they’re also a weird choice for Valentine’s Day. To Die Slower
First and foremost: condolences on your loss, Justin.
To follow up on Noumenon72′s comment, about 20 years ago there was a vineyard, or something, with a TV commercial advertising their wine that made a similar point. Something along the lines of: “If you’re trying to impress a woman and you give her flowers, she’ll put the flowers in a vase and they’ll turn brown and disgusting and when she looks at this ugly mess, she’ll think of you. Instead, why not give her a nice bottle of our wine?” Then at the end of the spot, the narrator says “Oh, just in case we’re wrong about this — we put flowers all over the label.”
I liked that commercial. Never tried the wine, though.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. The cut flowers from my mother’s funeral are long since gone, but the four potted ivy from that day and the four more planted from clippings are still alive five years later.