Solitude Rose

Cards and flowers are a wonderful way to express your affection, love and esteem for someone. When you go to the effort of "personalising" your message, instead of some "off the shelf" gift, you've left an indelible, lasting impression on the recipient. I learned after my Grandma Bowmans' passing, that she had saved EVERY card, letter, post card and note I'd addressed to her and Grandad since leaving Louisville in 1968. Through the years, I'd never given much thought to the importance Grandma had placed on those mailings, until in later years, I found myself storing away cards and notes addressed to me! In the early Fall of 1973, I made a trip to spend some time with my Step-Dad. We coordinated the journey to coincide with a few days he had off from his job at the Courier. On my last day in Louisville, we spent our time trekking around a dry-creek bed an hour or two outside of town. We were actually searching for arrowheads, but Dad, being quite the rock-hound, became distracted from our original mission. We returned home that evening with pockets full of natures treasures that Dad would eventually "slab" and polish... A day or two after I was back in Omaha, I got around to unpacking the duffel bag I used in those days. Come to think of it, I think THAT came from the PX out at Ft. Knox the year I moved to Omaha. I stray... Tucked neatly between the layers of clothing was a rock, and a hand written note from Dad. The note simply said; "It was a good day." Dad has been gone for a number of years, but that hand written note he hid away, remains one of my most valuable treasures. Do yourself, and others, a favour. Drop 'em a note or a card. You'll never know how valuable these little things are...