I’m not one for picking bouquets of flowers. Generally, I don’t like to disturb the flowers that grow in my garden, and though I enjoy flower arrangements, I have a hard time picking them, so it’s usually a special occasion when I do.

On Thursday, July 7th, with snips and water bucket, I went around my garden carefully selecting flowers for a bouquet for a good friend who was marking the first year anniversary of her new business. It was with a happy heart that I created an arrangement around several white snapdragons that I purchased at the local florist. They would look quite lovely with my pale yellow day lilies that were in bursting in full flower along with several of my cherished blue spikes of veronica. Though I lost much of my bee balm to a bishop’s weed infestation earlier this Spring, I had one clump of it remaining, and snipped off several stems. The dark pink shaggy blossoms provided the right contrast to the paler flowers in my arrangement. I added some branches of pink mallow, brown eyed susans, and queen anne's lace to my water bucket, then sat in the shade arranging the flowers, grateful that I made the effort to save my garden from the clutches of the encroaching bishop’s weed earlier this year.

As I went about my task, I thought about my friend and how much I admired the care that she puts into what ever it is that she is involved with and I wanted to pay tribute to her in a similar manner because of the incredible effort that she has made over the past year. I had organized a surprise party in her honor for that evening, and was looking forward to it with much anticipation. Little did I know that our lives would be indelibly changed in a few short hours and that I would be reenacting this ritual for a heart wrenching purpose several days later.

Early the next morning we learned that Grace, a longtime childhood friend of our daughter lost her life in a car accident the night before. She was on her way to baby-sit her nephew and crossing over Route 22 from O’Donnell Hill Road was struck by a southbound vehicle. Back at the party in Cambridge, we heard the sirens that went off at around 7 pm, but of course, had no way of knowing what had happened.

The following Monday I went back to my garden still quite stunned and grief stricken from the loss of our Grace. With great care I selected flowers for a bouquet to take over to the funeral home, and created an arrangement that included several purchased stems of fragrant asiatic lilies, as I had learned that they were flowers that she loved. I could never have imagined this tragic scenario several days before as I lovingly picked that first bouquet for my friend.

Reluctantly, I am humbled by the bigger picture, and must make peace with the fact that I am by chance a traveler here with no real guarantees. I am so very grateful for my family and all of my friends, and also for all of the flowers along the way.

Vervain & Purple Loosestrife

Photos by R. Bittner

Gathering wildflowers on the Battenkill

Lynne arranges a beautiful bouquet.