11/09/2025
When creating the sprays for a funeral I always try to make them to reflect who the person was in some way. Of course I dont always know them personally but something always comes to me thru just a feeling or what ive gathered from the family. I used magnolia once and afterwards the daughter of the man let me know that there had been a magnolia tree across from their parents house and her father loved that tree. After her mother had passed, he would often just look out the window and enjoy its beauty. Magnolias are my favorite too.
When my grandma was in her final days she told some staff at the hospital that her granddaughter was going to make the most beautiful flowers for her funeral. If you knew my grandma, you know that wasnt just an assumption, that was just how it was going to be. I learned more about my grandma a few days before she passed than Id ever been able to grasp before. She had asked me to come out and sweep and dust for her and then went into the hospital unexpectedly. As im starting to dust, I am noticing notes on some pieces in her hutch. NEVER before had I opened this hutch, but I had wanted to for as long as I could remember because there was so many beautiful things in there from her many trips to Scotland and EVERYWHERE she wanted to go. Notes were attached to literally everything in the house that meant something to her telling where it came from, who gave it to her, who it belonged to before or any other valuable information that went with it. She had cleared out any clutter that she had aside from things she valued and things she needed. Her funeral was planned to a t. Everything was written out and everything was organized , and I mean everything. She had pictures around the house in frames, many of just herself and when I had first started to clean I was so sad. Sad that she had been alone in life but that was far from the case. She had those pictures because she proud of her travels with the Motormaids, her motorcycle riding in general, and her ability to get up, get out and go. The woman had friends. True, loyal and many friends and they were widespread. My grandma lived. And she made time to do so. She didn't wait for someone to come along and give her a happy life...she made it happen on her own. As i was putting the vacuum back in her office I sat down and started reading the cutouts she had on the wall. One of them felt like it was there just for me, saying "plant your own garden, and decorate your own soul, rather than waiting on someone to bring you flowers." All the things I needed to hear where spelled out for me all around her house in so many different ways.
Her motorcycles were blue, her Motor Maids wear blue, and blue was just her favorite color. She was adventurous and very up front, but she was also kind and very very much a lady. She knew who she was and she loved herself. I want to be her when I finally decide to grow up🩷💙
