On one Thursday evening I decided to go to the local supermarket on my way home from work. I needed to get a few things, some veggies for a salad I wanted to make to go with the lasagna I prepared the previous night. I needed one cucumber, two tomatoes and a one yellow onion which I would dice and mix together. I also needed a cilantro bunch that I was going to finely chop and sprinkle over the top of the salad. The dressing consisted of olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. The final touch would be freshly squeezed lime juice. I had everything else except the lime. With my list in my hand I entered the supermarket and headed straight towards the produce area. I always found it interesting that they always had the fresh flowers next to the produce section. This particular supermarket had them right across the Red Delicious Apple display. Although, apples where not on my list of things to buy I began to pick a few out for after dinner. While I my attention was consumed in choosing what I thought was the best red apples, a gentleman approached me and said, “Hi! Do you mind if I ask you something?” I looked up and noticed that he had a dozen of red roses in his hand. I looked at him, smile and responded, “Hi! No go right ahead.” He smiled and asked me, “What do you think about these roses? Do you think that they look good? Do you think that they will last or die right away?” His voice had a hint of nervousness in it. I️ can tell that the purchase of these flowers meant a great deal to him. I put the apples down and began to inspect the roses. They didn’t look too good. I thought. A few of them were beginning to show signs of wilting so I pointed this out to him and began to help him search for better looking roses. While we were looking around he expressed that he wanted something that would last and that had meaning. I asked him who they were for? He turned to me and with a big smile on his face he said that they were for this lady that he had been courting for a while. He shared that they had been having a distant relationship. She had been out of the country in Bosnia visiting a sick relative. She had returned today and he was on his way to see her. He wanted to surprise her with flowers. I smiled and said “Red roses say I love you! White roses express purity of the heart. Hope for the future with new beginnings. He nodded his head ok and then asked me, “Would you choose half a dozen or a dozen?” I answered, “A dozen. Always a dozen. He asked me what I thought about Lilies. I told him they were also nice, but it depended on the message that he was trying to send this lady. He turned to me with the biggest smile, purest bright eyes and said, “I love her and I want her to know that I do. I want to let her know that I missed her and that I hated being apart from her. Not able to see her and touch her was devastating. I️ love her!” He loved her. I saw it because his eyes lit up when he was talking about her. I heard it in the softness of his voice when he spoke about her. So I responded, “Well then I think you should get her the dozen white roses. It will let her know that your heart is pure for her and that you long for a future with her.” With a big smile I handed him a dozen of new beginnings. He took the flowers, thanked me and walked to the register. His had a certain rhythm as if he was given the winning lotto ticket. I wished him good luck and went back to picking my Red Delicious Apples and everything else that was on my list. I recapped all that had happened and thought, “Wow I saw love. It was pure, new and full of possibilities.

When I got home my children asked me why I was late coming home from work. They asked what was I doing that made me so late. I answered “I saw love guys.” and went into the kitchen to put the lasagna in the oven and make my salad. They gave me a strange look, shrugged their shoulders and asked when would dinner be ready.

5 of #52essays2017