Thank You For A Lovely Time

Yesterday, I shared a post about a sad farewell. There are many in life--great and small. I've learned from experience, rather than saying, "Goodbye," it's easier to say, "Thank you for a lovely time."The following is a lightly rewritten essay, which I originally submitted in 2005:

Rosalie Gage and I teamed up to do a local radio program last week with John Scott. John loves roses, and since the program was two days after Valentine’s day, John asked that we bring some information about caring for cut roses. Rosalie mentioned an interesting tip that she had learned about removing the outer petals to help promote the freshness of the flowers. We talked about giving the stems a fresh cut at a good angle, changing the water regularly, and keeping the flowers out of direct sunlight and away from drafts.

I mentioned the use of Victorian Tussie Mussies, and I also brought a list of the language of flowers. Red roses, of course, mean, "I Love You"; pink roses, "Please Believe Me"; and yellow roses, "Decrease of Love, Jealousy, Try to Care." Tussie Mussies are arranged with flowers to send a message to someone special. I suppose it must be important to pick the right color rose. Rosalie pointed out that Tussie Mussies (nosegay) were also made with fragrant flowers to mask the less than desirable scents that drifted through Victorian times.

Rosalie is the type of Master Gardener who seems to know her plants better than some people know their children. I love going on garden tours with Master Gardeners like Rosalie. I invited Rosalie to meet John Scott and join me for a trial run at the radio station. I was sure that she would be the perfect person to take my place. I have been looking for other volunteers to take my place with many of the projects, programs, and activities that having been swirling around at the Extension Service. Life, it seems, will occasionally present unexpected opportunities at times. I recently had that experience.

To say, yes, to a new opportunity, I find myself saying goodbye to those I work with at the Extension Service. As Rosalie and I were browsing the language of flowers, I glanced at the meaning of Sweetpea. Sweetpea means, "Good-bye, Departure, Blissful Pleasure, Thank You for a Lovely Time."

I’ve never been fond of saying goodbye. Who is? As a child, my family moved on average every three to five years. I was slow to settle in and adopt my new surroundings as home. It seems by the time I put down roots I was transplanted again. So now, I have learned the value of quickly putting down roots. In recent years I’ve had the pleasant fortune of settling in one place. My new venture will take me away from Newnan by day, but thankfully, evenings and weekends will bring me home again to Newnan.

As far as leaving the Extension Service, it’s hard to say goodbye. Since Rosalie and I don’t like saying goodbye, we decided for me Sweetpea will mean, "Thank you for a lovely time."

[Carolyn Fjeran, LowTide explorer/reflective writer; horticulturist & gardener; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald - see more posts at https://lowtideexplorer.blogspot.com]

Photo credit: My French Country Garden, Kahnie Perks