Symbolism...

Herb and I are sitting together on the couch. It has been a difficult day at work, with colleagues as yet unnamed facing layoffs. Shell shocked, we told each other stories, and found ourselves needing to refocus. You know where that led us... So we began talking about the invitations. It is hard to say in a few words, all the things one wants to say, and in just the right way.

I had an idea that I wanted a tiny image on a simple card... lilies of the valley - a childhood memory from Fire Island where I spent my summers. They are long gone thanks to the deer that roam hungry, but with sweet peas and wild roses, they are the earliest flowers I remember. I went on-line of coure, to see what the meaning of different flowers are, and there are more stories.

Lily of the valley: "Return of happiness, purity of heart, sweetness, tears of the Virgin Mary, you've made my life complete, humility, happiness, love's good fortune. The legend of the lily of the valley is that it sprang from Eve's tears when she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. It is also believed that this flower protects gardens from evil spirits. Also known as the flower of May." 

Interesting: return of happiness and Eve's tears.

And white lilies: "Purity, modesty, virginity, majesty, it's heavenly to be with you. The white lily is linked to Juno, the queen of the gods in Roman mythology, by the story that while nursing her son Hercules, some excess milk fell from the sky creating the group of stars we call the Milky Way, and lilies were created from what milk fell to the earth. "

And lavender: "Devotion, happiness, success, luck, distrust." - Huh? Devotion and distrust???

And geranium: "Stupidity, folly, comfort, gentility. Associated with the fourth wedding anniversary."  Hmmm, the fourth wedding anniversary?  Something to look forward to. (Herb read it first as the fourth wedding...) 

And jack-in-the-pulpit: "Associated with the seventh wedding anniversary."  Isn't that a carnivorous plant?

But the best, truly the best is hens and chickens (and no I didn't make this up): "Welcome home husband however drunk you are."

Ah well, all marriages aren't created equal.