Peggy’s prompt—a yellow rose—15 minutes—021411

Peggy’s prompt—a yellow rose—15 minutes—021411




The man behind me in the check-out line today—Valentine’s Day—at the grocery store was holding four helium balloons shaped like hearts, with “I Love You” stenciled on them, a huge fluffy yellow stuffed doggie with a red bow, and a bouquet of six red roses surrounded by baby’s breath. I smiled at him and said “I’d be impressed if those were for me”, implying that I liked his selections. “Are you s’posed to get pink roses for Valentine’s Day?” he asked. “No,” I said, “red is just fine.” Red is really the best”, isn’t it? he asked. “Yep,” I said. “Red’s the best.”



Which reminds me of the (very few) times I’ve ever gotten flowers for any occasion. The most touching bouquet I ever received was a surprise gift from Jim Philp, my colleague in our two-year journey to create a new problem-based curriculum for Bowman Gray School of Medicine. We were beginning with just 18 students in our “Parallel Curriculum”, and on the first day they all arrived at medical school, he had delivered to my office 18 long-stemmed carnations. I’ve forgotten what color they were. Not red, but maybe white. Anyhow, I was very touched, and surprised, and unfortunately, it may have been the last time we were great friends as well as colleagues.



When Jonathan was born, Larry brought me a long-stemmed red rose to the hospital, which I’m sure he bought from a Moonie on the street corner, and then he tried to put it in the water glass beside my bed, but it was too tall and kept falling out. The rest of his present was a stick of Hickory Farms summer sausage (Jonathan was born in December). I guess he was a little rattled by the whole experience.



Sometimes other colleagues have given me flowers for various reasons, including the fact that I was their boss and it was “Bosses Day.” And once Jonathan had a bouquet of red roses sent to me for Mother’s Day. And I got flowers when I had surgery a few years ago. But never any flowers on Valentine’s Day. I tell myself the whole thing is a commercial event dreamed up by the florists, but secretly I wouldn’t mind getting flowers on Valentine’s day—even a single yellow rose.