You say tomato, I say…it didn’t happen like that at allFebruary 14th, 2008 @ 5:01 am
My high school boyfriend was the first boy to give me a bouquet of roses. The roses arrived at my house on a Friday night, right as I was getting ready for my date with another boy. My brother had set me up on a blind date before my boyfriend and I were “exclusive”. I was young and didn’t know how to get out of this blind date, so I went. I told my boyfriend I was going and he seemed to understand why I had to go. He was supportive and trusting. The roses were gorgeous and I felt like a queen, until I read the note; “Be good tonight.” I didn’t feel so trusted anymore. Those roses held far too much meaning than I was prepared to accept.
Like most girls I received more flower bouquets as I got older. During college nobody could afford roses, so I got daisies or carnations. All were fine by me. Flowers are pretty and I was happy to have something pretty to look at in my ugly college dorm room.
After college my girlfriends and I started a tradition of sending a bouquet of daisies and fun colorful flowers to each other on our birthdays. Nothing beats having a desk full of flowers on your special day, and we all knew it. Getting these flowers from my ladies became one of the best parts about my birthdays.
The second time I was given actual real live roses was when my (future) exhusband’s brother sent me some. He had a crush on me and wanted me to date him and not his older brother. I had to sit him down and tell him that I wasn’t going to date him and that, in fact, I was going to date his older brother. Wow, talk about delicate situation. (We all patched things up and his brother actually dated my younger sister for quite some time. That whole thing is a story for another day.)
To be brutally honest I can’t think of a single time, while we were married, that my exhusband gave me roses, or any type of flowers. I’m sure he did, I just can’t remember any specifics. I do recall him chasing me down in my car one day after I got off work. Our divorce was long final and we hadn’t spoken in quite a while. I pulled over to see what he wanted and he handed me a crap load of yellow roses and quickly confessed that he thought our divorce was a mistake. This was all too much for me to take in emotionally, plus, it was too late. Way too late. He had missed his chance and I’m pretty sure he knew it. I think he just wanted to ease his conscience.
The next time I received roses was when The King sent some to my office after my first trip out to Seattle. He continued the trend before I moved up to Seattle by sending me flowers to my office quite a bit. On the last day at my job before moving to Seattle to marry him, he sent me flowers wishing me a “happy last day”.
Less then a year into our marriage The King offered to pick me up from my office one night after work. This wasn’t something he typical did, but since I was new to the city and still trying to figure out how in the crap a person could be brave enough to ride the bus, I was happy for the ride. I waited by the curb for him to pull up and then quickly jumped in the car before the police gave us a ticket for this illegal act. I threw my briefcase in the back seat and noticed a bouquet of flowers on the seat.
He was sweet like that.
We chatted on our way home and continued chatting all the way into our apartment. We went about our regular, and boring, evening. We had dinner, cleaned up, watched TV and then went to bed. I took the bus to work in the morning and The King took the car. He e-mailed me once he got to work and told me that my flowers were still in the car and they were dead from lack of water. Really dead. He was upset that I had forgotten then and I was upset that he was upset.*
And that’s when it happened, he told me he would never buy me flowers again. Ever.
This was way back in 2001.
Let it be known that Valentines Day 2008 marks the lifting of the No Flower for Isabel Ever! moratorium as these lovelies arrived at my office.
Thanks baby, for taking on chance on me. I promise I won’t leave these in the car. Happy Valentines Day.
So tell me, do you remember the first bouquet of roses you ever got?
*The King remembers the story a little differently. He recalls me getting mad at him for something and leaving the flowers in the car on purpose! I really can’t accept this as truth as I would never get mad at him and I would never, ever leave a gift from him in the car to die.
The King · Back in the day
LaLa
said,
February 14, 2008 at 11:17 am
Oh Happy Valentines, those flowers are just delish.
Flowers and I have a thorny (ho ho, thorny) history.
My first bunch of red rose were on the night of my high school formal, unfortunately everyone else had corsages. It was a little embarrasing to drag around a BOUQUET all night. When you are 16, taller than everyone else and chubby, you really don’t need anything else to make you stand out.
When I was living in London I did a favour for a friends boyfriend. He was a very rich trader living in Tokyo and there was a book she had ordered for him waiting at the British Museum, so I went and picked this massive book up and as there was a tube strike that day I dragged the thing all around town on and off buses. TRYING TO GET HOME.
To say thank you he sent me the BIGGEST bunch of flowers I had ever seen, seriously, I had to stay back late at work so I could get them home without stabbing people in the eye on the tube. And then they took up THREE tube seats. And then they were too big for a vase, I had to put them in our yellow plastic bin.
In fact, they kind of looked a bit like a funeral wreath.
LaLa
said,
February 14, 2008 at 11:19 am
That was a really long, poorly constructed comment and I almost sound a little ungrateful… tsk tsk.
Liz
said,
February 14, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Oh Isabel, there are so many things I love about this post. But mostly it’s that you and your girlfriends send each other daisies on your birthdays.
Also? I think maybe I got some flowers for no reason once last year? But I always tell The Mistah that they’re so expensive, we could use the money on something else more practical. Which isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy receiving flowers.
Happy Valentine’s day to you and The King and enjoy those gorgeous flowers. I’m totally jealous.
Stephanie
said,
February 14, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Those are some gorgeous flowers! The King is awesome!
Carrie
said,
February 14, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I was 13 and “dating” (if you can call it that) my first boyfriend. He was too embarrassed to send me flowers at school (which is what EVERYONE did) so he sent them to my house. I cringe just thinking back to those days. We were so corny!
Whitney
said,
February 14, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I’m a big fan of flowers for no reason and not once has it ever happened to me… Such a shame. Anyways, my first bouquet of roses came to me in the sixth grade. This boy I was friends with (because really? who has a boyfriend in the sixth grade?? really.) sent me TWO DOZEN roses to my house with a Hershey Kiss stuck in each one for Valentine’s Day. Ok…wait… What PARENT buys their child TWO DOZEN ROSES for their “girlfriend???” Not a smart one, that’s who. Regardless, I was, you know, somewhat excited, mainly embarrassed but whatever. I saw them, thought they were nice and went directly downstairs to watch tv. Unfortunately, I fell asleep and when I woke up they were no where to be found… I asked my mom and this was her answer: Oh those roses? Yeah, your brother needed a gift for his girlfriend for their date tonight so he took them. I didnt’ think you’d mind.
She didn’t think I’d mind?!?!
I get that I was eleven but those were MY roses! And seriously, what a cheap move on my brother’s part! His poor girlfriend was none the wiser… I had this big elaborate plan to tell her the next time I saw her but apparently, their high school love couldn’t stand the test of time and they broke up before I ever saw her again.
Frema
said,
February 14, 2008 at 3:02 pm
And you deserve them. They’re gorgeous!
Kim
said,
February 14, 2008 at 3:28 pm
They’re beautiful. The vase is really pretty, too!
My favorite flowers were ones a friend sent me last year from Hawaii. I moaned and complained because I didn’t get to go and he was going to be gone almost three weeks. So while he was there, he sent me a huge bouquet of ginger, palm fronds, and birds-of-paradise. There were some other exotic ones in there too. It was a little slice of paradise.
Operation Pink Herring
said,
February 14, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I told Joel early on that I thought flowers were a huge waste of money. they’re so expensive and they only last a short time… waste!
But after many years of never getting flowers, I had to tell him that I had changed my mind and that every once in a while, some flowers would be nice. He took the hint and sent me roses for our 5-year anniversary. That was the first time I ever got roses from a boy. My mom (who really thinks flowers are a huge waste of money) sent me flowers to my office on my first birthday after college… my first “adult” birthday when i wasn’t home with her.
super des
said,
February 14, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Those are beautiful. You’ve made me want to write a story about roses, which I will do on my own blog so everyone has to go there to read my own sweet story.
:)
Kath
said,
February 14, 2008 at 3:38 pm
On all levels, this is the prettiest post of the day
i loved everything about it, & enjoy how you told it. i’m glad The King felt compelled to break the rule, for whatever reason. & i think the flowers from your girlfriends a terrific idea. Happy Valentine’s Day, lots of warm sugar thoughts sent your way. & one for Sweet Baboo, too 
JustRandi
said,
February 14, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Those are beautiful! I’m so glad it got cleared up. Ahem. One way or the other.
janet
said,
February 14, 2008 at 5:07 pm
pink roses - so pretty! Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
I remember I once got 2 dozen apology roses because my boyf at the time FORGOT about valentine’s day because it was mardi gras.
Keri
said,
February 14, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Gorgeous roses. I love getting flowers. Some part of me thinks its a waste of money but I LOVE THEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMm
My first real bouquet was from my now husband. The weekend after we met he sent them to my college dorm room. I came busting into my apt after classes & another roomie was sitting there grinning - - waiting for me to turn the corner & see them on the kitchen table. They were pink too - my fav - I was so thrilled!
Rhi
said,
February 14, 2008 at 5:23 pm
That vase is lovely (also the flowers)
Is it sad that my first bouquet of roses were from my mother on my High School Graduation day?
My first from a boy were from Andy on the day of my baptism. I still have one pressed in a notebook somewhere. Except, he was on his mission then, so I am pretty sure they were from his parents
Monica
said,
February 14, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Giving flowers has always been Ash’s thing. When we were dating he sent them almost every week.
This year for our anniversary he sent me 13 dozen flowers for the 13 years we have been married.
Audrey
said,
February 14, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Those flowers are beautiful! I’m glad he finally lifted the “no flowers for Isabel” ban — and with such style!
On past valentine’s days, when Tim couldn’t quite justify the expense of actual flowers, he has gotten me packets of flower seeds. But that has stopped since I can never seem to get them to grow beyond the initial seedling (is that what it’s called) stage. Still, the gesture was really cute, especially the first year we were in our house when he knew how excited i was to have a yard to plant stuff in. (Again, this was before we figured out that I suck at keeping anything fancier than grass alive.)
This year, we agreed that the puppy would cover Valentine’s Day, so I’m not expecting flowers or anything else. But I am gonna stop on the way home and pick up a little something for him, just because.
HollowSquirrel
said,
February 14, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Oooh pretty flowers! Yay the King! Hugs to you both (AND BABBOO, my true Valentine) on this schmoopy “holiday!”
HollowSquirrel
said,
February 14, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Also, that may be the BEST post title I’ve ever seen.
amieable
said,
February 14, 2008 at 6:47 pm
What does the little sign say on the vase of flowers? Is it some sort of watering instructions from The King?
This is a really cute story. You must have been awfully sweet lately to have him lift the moratorium. My first roses were when I was 14 and “dating” (not really allowed to go anywhere with him) my first “boyfriend” (again the definition here is unclear). I remember thinking I had hit the big time, but I didn’t really like the flowers. I felt that way about my first kiss; I was a “grown-up” now but I didn’t really like it all that much.
I really like your idea of giving flowers to girlfriends. There’s no reason we all have to rely on a man to get flowers. Let’s send them to each other.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your whole family. Preston too.
xoxo
Lindsey
said,
February 14, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Gorgeous flowers! Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m glad the Berlin wall has come down, so to speak.
Amanda
said,
February 14, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Hey Isabel,
ok so I’m a lurker and have been on and off for a couple of years *blushes* but I just had to break my silence to say “wow” what gorgeous roses and how happy you must be that the “no flowers for Isabel” thing is lifted!!!
My first bunch of roses ever was received last autumn just as I began my relationship with my current boyfriend - my first ever boyfriend - at age 23… can you imagine how shocked I was to not only have a boyfriend but a bunch of roses appear on my doorstep?! lol I would guess your reaction to suddenly having roses on your desk was pretty similar!!
Nic
said,
February 14, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I love this post, from the title to the closing line it is awesome.
I have never received Valentine’s Day flowers from a guy. Apparently I’m a fall and spring girl.
Christar
said,
February 14, 2008 at 8:31 pm
They are beautiful! Happy Valentine’s Day to you guys.
I don’t like Valentine’s Day, and made a decision a long time ago that I wouldn’t celebrate it with my significant other (you know, before I had one) and so for Shaun and I, this is just another day. Nothing special.
Shaun has gotten me lots of flowers, and some really, really beautiful kinds. But I do have to say, that I’m super jealous that you got flowers delivered to you. I’ve always wanted flowers to be delivered to me.
Not the Queen
said,
February 14, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I think my first bouquet of flowers was from my husband, then boyfriend. I think. We had been dating three months (which was significant, since neither one of us had really dated anyone before), and had planned on having a nice dinner together that evening. Instead, I had to go to a meeting, which made both of us upset. When I got to my apartment, I saw that he had left me a beautiful bouquet of hand-picked roses on my bed.
I think I’ve gotten flowers from him three more times since then.
We’ve been married 7 years.
I am so jealous you had flowers delivered to your office! I have always wanted flowers delivered to me at work.
gorillabuns
said,
February 14, 2008 at 10:14 pm
My first bouquet of roses were sent by my Father - back when he used to acknowledge my existence.
I’m so happy he lifted the ban. They are beautiful!
Durga
said,
February 15, 2008 at 12:07 am
hehehe u and the King are so cute together. I love u guys.
Della
said,
February 15, 2008 at 1:27 am
I was 18 and working at a top 40 radio station when a dozen long stemmed red roses were delivered to me while I was on-the-air. The card said they were from a very handsome and very married state politician whom I had met earlier that day. I will never know if they were really from him or not. He did seem quite smitten with me.
SJ
said,
February 15, 2008 at 4:23 am
Beautiful flowers! Happy Valentine’s Day.
My hubby brought home a bouquet of flowers for me tonight - which wasn’t something I expected AT ALL. I was pleased. Very pleased.
Rachel
said,
February 15, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Happy Valentine’s day! Those are soooo pretty!!! You totally deserve them.
I cannot honestly remember the first time I got roses. My ex-husband gave me flowers once. More like he layed them on the counter and was like, oh yeah, those are for you.
Chris has given me roses each V-day, including this one, but has several times since we met just sent me flowers for no reason.
mk
said,
February 16, 2008 at 12:12 am
so pretty!!!!
Marriage-101
said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I still have a few of the first bouquet of roses my now-husband ever sent to me. He’s good with the flower sending.
heidikins
said,
February 18, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I don’t remember my first roses, but I think they were from a crush on opening night of a play when I was in junior high school.
My last bouquet of flowers? From Handsome V on a day he KNEW was going to be a rough one for me. Swoon!
Kudos to The King!
xox
In which I take one for the team | hola, isabel
said,
February 18, 2008 at 10:51 pm
[…] Last month I fell back in love with the Lonesome Dove movies after watching the prequel, Commanche Moon. I told The King that I wanted him to watch Lonesome Dove with me as my Valentines Day present. He quickly said that wasn’t going to happen and then sent me three dozen roses. […]