Flowers have always brought me happiness whether I'm the giver or the recipient. I've taken many floral arranging classes and been known to spend way too long in the floral section of any store. I've always been fascinated by the Language of Flowers and the feelings it invokes. White roses symbolize unity, purity, virtue, spirituality, and perfection. In early tradition they were used as a symbol of true love.
At Prim's graveside service we had family members place a beautiful full bloomed white english rose next to her casket graciously purchased by the Atkinson family by the talented Rachel Osguthorpe of Jolley's Gift and Floral that would be buried with her. We asked for a total of 24 roses purely for the amount we needed, however, now that amount also brings us many beautiful connections we are grateful for. Two of them being:
1) Primrose was born on the 24th of July and
2) A dozen roses, in the Language of Flowers, is meant to reinforce the message of the color selected as a dozen is viewed as the "perfect" number in many ancestral cultures.
Hence two dozen or 24 roses is twice as "perfect" and means "I belong to you". It can also refer to the 24 hours in a day and says that "you think about them every hour"...
Oh how my heart relates to that.
A few months after losing Primrose, our Aunt Michele sent us a beautiful poem at a dire time. It didn't heal the wounds nor did I feel I personally identified with the mothers in it, but it painted a beautiful picture of what my little girl must be like. Not getting the chance to officially meet her leaves a huge hole in my heart. I always could sense who she was while in my belly, but this poem paints a beautiful picture of who she continues to be while we are apart.
The White Rose
All the earth's mothers were gathered together at God's Garden of flowers. Those beautiful budding spirits who would someday come to earth were nurtured and tended in the garden. A loving Father spoke to the Mothers, "See the works of my hands. Someday you will be the mothers to these radiant spirits." The garden glowed with the mixture of all kinds of colors. "Choose ye", he said.
Now in the east corner of the garden, pure White Roses stood as sentinels. They were not as colorful as the rest, but they glowed with a kind of purity which set them apart. One by one the mothers stepped forward. "I want the blue eyed, curly haired on, who will grow to maturity and be a mother in Zion." Yet another chose a brown eyed, brown haired boy, full of life and love, who would someday be a prince in a grand country. The garden buzzed with excitement as the others chose their special spirits. Those whom they would soon welcome into the love and warmth of an earthly home.
Once again the loving Father spoke. "But who will take the White Roses? The ones in the East corner of my garden. These will return to me in purity and goodness. They will not stay long in your home, for I must bring them back to my garden. For they belong to me. They will gain bodies as was planned. You will miss them and long for them, but I shall personally care for them."
"No, not I." many said in unison. "I couldn't bear to give one back so soon", "Nor I.", said others. "We will take those who will remain and grow to maturity and live long lives." The loving Father looked across the multitude of mothers with a longing in his eyes for someone to step forward and speak, Silence!
Then he said, "See the most pure and perfect of the white ones? I have chosen Him. He will go down and be a sacrifice for all mankind. He will be scorned, mocked, and crucified. He is mine own. Will not any one choose like unto him?" A few mothers stepped forward. "Yes, Lord I will." Then another, "Yes we will Lord." Soon all the pure White Roses were chosen and they rejoiced with their mothers. The Father spoke again, "Oh blessed are ye who chose the White Roses. For your pain will be a heavy cross to bear. But your joy will be exceeding, beyond anything you can understand at this time." The White ones embraced their mothers, and so full was their purity and love, that it filled the mothers souls with such endearment that each knew she could endure the task.
And the greatest of the White ones gathered them as a hen gathers her chicks, and the outpouring of love surrounded each mother and child, consuming them as He prepared them for their task. And each mother who bore the weight of a White Rose felt the overwhelming love of God, as they all shouted, "Thy will be done."
-Myrna Cox
We were blessed to be able to book another session with the beautiful Kaylie from Photos by Kaylie Photography while visiting Utah over Christmas. We love her and the spirit she brings to each of our sessions. We are probably not her typical client and yet she always captures the four of us perfectly...somehow being able to capture heaven and earth in our pictures. The photos she provides us help bring a peace and calmness to my aching heart when days are extremely rough and exhausting. This session was no exception with how she captured our beautiful white rose and the many sun flares that we view as our little Primrose shining down on us.
