Flowers in the Window

Before they met, she was closed up. Detached. Sad.
There were many before him who took her innocence, her naiveté, her spirit.
But she never gave them her heart. She never let them in.
She never opened up like she did with him.
She thought she was destined to live a solitary life.

He changed things.
He helped her see the good in people.
He taught her the joys of a healthy relationship.
He enabled her to share her feelings. Something she has never done before.
The others never asked her.

Her feelings were deep and pure. And hers alone.
They were strong and willful. But not a soul cared.
Until him.

He stood out in the crowd and held her close. In his heart, in his mind, in his powerful arms, he held her close and showed her that the sun is a healer and will rise again. He showed her that the future holds infinite possibilities for her and for him and for the two of them together.

They planted flowers in the window boxes of their love and cared for each and every one. As you would a heart. As you would someone’s feelings.
They enriched them and nourished them, enjoyed their colorful bloom. Enjoyed the healing sun shining down on them.

At the same time, they nourished their relationship and became closer, more honest and true.

Look at them now.

Throughout the seasons of their love, they have shared joy, sorrow and anger. Through each and every year, the burdens were heavy, the love was deep. The commitment and promise was always there. “I’ll help you. Whatever load you may bear, I’ll be there.”

He is her heart and her one true love. He will always be there for her. He has taught her that her feelings are worth something and he will cherish them forever. She can only repay him in love and to be there for him in return.

The flowers may have come and gone with the seasons, but they are stronger for the beauty and the character they once possessed.

They have planted ‘flowers in the window’ in the form of children and watched them grow into beautiful, independent souls. Something she never thought she’d do. Give life and nurture another’s heart and soul.

Look at them now.

Their flowers have all grown and left the ‘window box’. But they are still together and they continue to watch their flowers grow. They have created a lineage that will forever lead back to her and her heart. The same heart that was too cold to touch. The same heart the he opened up and stepped inside and held with all his might so that she could see the beauty that life has to offer.

Inspired by Travis’ song ‘Flowers in the Window’

"Flowers in the Window"

When I first held you I was cold,
A melting snowman I was told
But there was no-one there to hold
Before I swore that I would be alone forever more

Wow, look at you now
Flowers in the window
Its such a lovely day
And I'm glad that you feel the same
cos to stand up I'm in the crowd
You are one in a million
And I love you so lets watch the flowers grow

There is no reason to feel bad
But there are many seasons to feel glad, sad, mad
Its just a bunch of feelings that we have to hold
But I am here to help you with the load

Wow, look at you now
Flowers in the window
Its such a lovely day
And I'm glad that you feel the same
cos to stand up I'm in the crowd
You are one in a million
And I love you so lets watch the flowers grow

So now were here and now is fine
So far away from there
And there is time, time, time
To plant new seeds and watch them grow
So there'll be flowers in the window when we go

Wow, look at you now
Flowers in the window
Its such a lovely day
And I'm glad that you feel the same
cos to stand up I'm in the crowd
You are one in a million
And I love you so lets watch the flowers grow

Wow, look at you now
Flowers in the window
Its such a lovely day
And I'm glad that you feel the same
cos to stand up I'm in the crowd
You are one in a million
And I love you so lets watch the flowers grow
Lets watch the flowers grow

How we fell in love....The Finale. Honeymoon in Vegas.

I couldn't end the walk down memory lane at the wedding.
Our honeymoon was just as memorable.

We bid our guests farewell the next day, after the delicious brunch we held. We toured some more vineyards with friends before we took off to Carmel.

The hotel was a slice of heaven tucked away in the mountain cliffs.

I still cry when I see this image. Remember when the pianist timed his solo of "Claire de Lune" to end just as the sun set into the horizon. I'll never get over the emotion it invoked. It was like watching the ocean devour the heat of the sun while our ears enveloped the sound of the piano.
Magical.
Catalina Island never met tourists like us before...
Only we would find humor in the phallic vegetation of the Pet Cemetery.

The thunderstorms and epic heat of the Mohave Desert was a treat. Anything was bearable headed to Las Vegas...
My first time in Vegas and it was a blast. I can't decide what I loved more. Partying with Depeche Mode, their concert or falling asleep while you went to gamble in the Hard Rock.

Our Honeymoon was just the beginning of our married life together and it has been a ball. We've hit rocky terrain at times but there's no one in this world I'd want to ride it with.

I love you Big Daddy.
Thanks for the experiences you've given me. Thanks for the memories we're making. Thank you for holding my hand when I've felt alone. Thank you for making me feel like the best person in your life. Thank you for making me giggle even when I don't feel like it. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift ever, our daughter. Thank you for being you.

How we fell in love....part four. The Big Day.

August 3, 2001

Our wedding day.

How much fun it was.

And how in love we were.

I'll never forget the weather and the aroma of the vineyard.
The wine cellar was as romantic as you could get.

The day was perfect. The guests were having fun. We were taking it all in.

Oh! My beautiful cake. I've never even heard of 'Fondant' until we saw that cake!


And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, if you asked.

I love you Big Daddy.
Happy Anniversary.

***

Want the beginning:
Part One, Part Two, Part Three

How we fell in love....part three. Haiku Scouting.

(Click here for Part I, and Part II)

May of 2000
Our favorite place to eat
The corner table

Without me knowing...
You asked and I said, "OF COURSE!"
Are you kidding me?

It was so spark-ly!!!
Just what I've always wanted.
So very spark-ly.


Plan set in motion
Getting married in Napa
Place we fell in love

Scouting locations
Best time in February
to go to Napa

It's a good thing that
Queen of the Valley ER
Opened up for us

Who knew that mud baths
would send me to the ER
with UTI pain!

Gah!

The ER was closed
Turned the lights on just for us
Small Town Hospital

But we kept going
Only had a few short days
Even with no sleep

Visiting vineyards
So drunk, couldn't even eat
Always time for wine

My favorite place
Didn't do weddings, too bad
We'll keep looking though

Then we saw the church
We instantly fell in love
And the deal was sealed

This would be the best
experience of our lives
Our Napa Wedding

***

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How we fell in love....part two. Back again.

We promised to return to "Our Special Place" one day. And we did. December of '98 we went back to celebrate New Year's.

And right away, you took me to my bridge. Walking over it was the most exhilarating thing ever...

And you weren't the least bit embarrassed by me when I took all those pictures.
Stopping traffic to get that special shot.

We even made it to my favorite winery all in time for New Year's Eve at the Fairmont Hotel in San Fransisco.

I remember thinking, "If he asked me to marry him, I would."

How we fell in love....part one. Our First Trip.

I remember how excited I was to be going away to California with you. Our first trip together. It was 1997. We were dating about a year. The nervous excitement I felt was crazy.

Would we get along? Would we get sick of each other? Would I want to run?

Hell Yes. No. No.

We had a blast. We were all over Northern California. I found my new favorite place. And I found my new favorite person. We visited so many sights. We were tireless.

It was fun touring Alcatraz. And pretending to be inmates.

We hung out at Pebble Beach. And listened for sea lions.

We toured a zillion different wineries.

And got tanked.

Maybe it was the beautiful scenery.

Or the amount of time we pondered raw, Irish Pizza.

Maybe I was dizzy from being on Lombard Street and trying so hard not to topple over on those steep inclines. But no. That wasn't it.

It was the way you never got tired of me wanting to go over the Golden Gate Bridge "just one more time."

It was the way you took me all over (and under) that bridge because you knew I loved it so much.

It was the way you made me feel special and the way California became "Our Special Place".

I'll never forget that.