Flower Stories: Suzanne - "Spirituality in Flowers" by Phoenix R

Flower Stories: Suzanne - "Spirituality in Flowers" by Phoenix R

Suzanne Gerety of Exeter, NH is not only a self-proclaimed flower devotee but also a long time, enthusiastic patron of Cymbidium Floral. She turns to Jess and the Cymbidium team whenever she is looking to bring something special to an event or celebration.

To say the love of flowers runs in Suzanne’s blood is not an overstatement. Her great grandfather was a florist through the time of the great depression and came out the other side to become the pre-eminent funerary floral designer in the Woburn, Massachusetts area. He also, according to Suzanne, bred new variegated carnations at the greenhouse where he worked. Suzanne’s grandmother always kept a beautiful perennial garden and her mother kept the flower tradition growing with her own special roses and fresh cut blooms accentuating their home at all times.

Suzanne is bright, sunny and open like the human embodiment of a lovely blossom herself. When I met her last week to talk about her flower love, she wore her favorite rose covered tank top. For Suzanne, flowers aren’t just beautiful things that adorn her space but are part of her spiritual practice: “If you are not in awe of your day, look at a rose”, she says.

Symbolizing so much for Suzanne and her family, flowers ever highlight the special times and moments of their life. Flowers, for Suzanne, are a reminder to be in THIS moment and hold it as precious precisely because, like a flower, it is fleeting: “Flowers bring you back to what is beautiful even in times of uncertainty and negativity” says Suzanne. She shared that she and her husband made fresh flowers a focal point at their wedding because adding that beauty was a priority. For the first year after their son was born, Suzanne’s husband sent her flowers on the 14th of every month, marking the day of his birth, as an expression of his love for her and as a celebration of their son’s new life. For her daughter’s First Communion, Suzanne consulted with Jess at Cymbidium and the result was a unique, custom made garland of off-white rosebuds woven together that crowned her daughter’s head for that special event.

Flower Crown

Over the years I have had the privilege of speaking with and being in the presence of many people who embody and emanate goodness and a strong, grounded spiritual nature. These people, in my experience, are magnetic and lift me up. Suzanne is one of these people. I have also come to know that there are countless beautiful and honored spiritual paths leading to joy, grace and goodness. For Suzanne, flowers are the fabled breadcrumbs on the path of a life well-lived always guiding a way back to what is truly important in her life.