“Share with us a situation that caused you to pause and remember how important your role as a florist and your products are in other people’s lives.” 

We offer a monthly subscription service, and one client sends her subscription arrangement to someone in the community anonymously each month. Every month a shocked recipient asks who sent them flowers, to which we reply, “Someone who wanted to brighten your day.” One person who received the anonymous arrangement figured out the identity of our community angel, and she wanted to share that the flowers had arrived while she was having a really bad day and on her birthday! In her words, “the beautiful flowers made me realize I am important to someone.” This incident made me re-realize how much joy our craft brings to others and how much it can mean.

Kelly Bishop
Buds & Blooms by KMB Designs
El Centro, Calif.

We had a gentleman come in and order flowers for his wife for Valentine’s Day. As we chatted, he said, “I just want to make her smile one more time.” He started to get choked up, and he shared that “cancer is kicking her.” He filled out the card, paid and went on his way. I shared with my staff what had just taken place. We all had tears rolling down our faces. I went back to the register, collected his money, put it in an envelope and attached it to his order.

A few days later, we delivered his order to his wife and gave him the envelope. He called us to say that we needed to accept his payment, but I told him that our entire staff wanted to do this for him. He accepted. I could hear him crying as he hung up. Two or three days later, he came back in. He took a deep breath and said his wife had passed, and he wanted to order her casket flowers. As we finished the order, he informed us that he had never heard of our store but that he felt led to stop in and order his wife flowers for Valentine’s Day. That was the last time he made her smile.

Robby Walls, AMF, PCF
Petals & Stems; Alma, Ark.

The most humbling experience in my 31 years as a florist was gifting a large bouquet of mixed flowers to a very distraught, emotional customer who had lost his mother but could not afford to put flowers on her grave. His expression of gratitude will be ingrained in my mind forever. He has never forgotten this and has referred many of his friends to us. Never under estimate kindness and the power of flowers.

Ellie Richardson
Creative Compliments Gift Baskets & Flowers
 Saskatoon, Sask., Canada

After many years as a floral designer, I was completely “over” Valentine’s Day; I hated the holiday. After finishing a delivery round, I had an extra arrangement without a card or designation in the van.

I gave the arrangement to an older woman standing on the street. “Happy Valentine’s Day from me to you.” Immediately her eyes welled up and her smile melted my heart. She told me how her late husband used to bring her flowers on Valentine’s Day and that she hadn’t received flowers since he passed. It made me realize that a gift of flowers means so much to so many people. As florists, we sometimes tend to forget. It showed me that everyone needs to feel loved and cared for. Flowers are a universal symbol of life and love. What a special and precious gift to be able to share with so many people.

Remy Brault
Labellum; Bozeman, Mont.

During Valentine’s week, a mother and father asked us if we would donate a presentation bouquet for their daughter’s funeral service. The funeral director who had donated the casket told them to contact me because I was compassionate and would mostly likely help them.

The fact the funeral home trusted me with their client and knew that I would take care of the couple meant a lot to me. After talking with the couple about their daughter, I discovered she loved the beach, so I created a casket spray with a sand pail, shovel and butterflies – the daughter’s three favorite things. For the hour I was with the couple, it truly made me fall in love again with why I went into the business: to bring a bit of happiness into people’s lives.

Darlene Nelson
DLN Floral Creations
 Naperville, Ill.

I had booked a wedding with a wonderful bride. She had dropped off pewter candleholders and unity candles. A month or two before her wedding date, I received a call from her mother informing me that this bride-to-be had died in a boating accident and asking if I would do the funeral flowers using the same flowers her daughter had picked for her wedding. I offered to do them at no charge as my gift to the family. They were overwhelmed. When I offered to return the bride’s candleholders, the mother told me to keep them because her daughter would want me to have them.

I gladly accepted, as a remembrance. To this day, I receive a Christmas card every year from her mother and father.

Faye Mueller
Flowers by Faye
 Wauwatosa, Wis.