Valentine's Day

Ah, Valentine's Day...the holiday of love (at least according to Hallmark). While I think it's nice to recognize those you love, I am sort of jaded when it comes to Valentine's Day. I think this is due because I spent seven years of my life working in a floral shop. It was a wonderful job, and there are many days I wish I still worked there. However, there were a lot of downfalls to the floral business. One of them being LONG hours. There are several times of year that are challenging as a florist:
1. December- Pointsettia's are a tropical plant, and I always found it odd that they were so popular for a winter holiday. If you have ever broken a stem on a Pointsettia plant, you will notice that they have a white milky sticky substance inside of them. Imagine watering HUNDREDS of these plants. Of course stems will be broken, causing a sticky mess. I have vivid memories of the bottoms of my shoes sticking to the floor as I walked.
2. February- Valentine's Day=Floral Hell. Keeping arrangements fresh, and high flower cost make for much stress. Deliveries are a real pain. Many men want flowers sent to their Valentine at work. The problem is...getting every delivery to a recipient during work hours is tough. Delivery drivers start very early, and work very late.
3. May- Mother's Day, Proms, and Graduations. Arrangements and corsages keep a florist very busy. The big pain is latex balloons at Graduation time. They are VERY cheap, and VERY time consuming. I have a small scar under my eye where a latex graduation balloon popped and hit me. Balloons are also filled with Hi Float to keep them afloat longer. STICKY!

Valentine's Day will forever remind me of my Floral Shop days. Even with thorn scars on my thumbs, and balloon scars by my eye...I remember my days working there very fondly. I worked with amazing people, and genuinely felt like I was appreciated and cared about as a person.

It's been 7 years since I've had this job, and I am now a mom of 2 little girls, a wife, and a teacher. Life is totally different. This year I enjoyed a small bouquet of roses from my husband, and a night at home with all 3 of my Valentines.