I remember telling my wusband several years ago that I wasn’t a flower type chick. He had gotten into a habit of stopping by the local supermarket to purchase a bouquet hoping he could buffer my temper when he knew he had done wrong.

The flowers he purchased were a representation of his latest failed get rich quick scheme – I expressed my dislike for flowers so vehemently that I began to loathe them, when in actuality it was his ways that I found displeasure in.

It didn’t take long for him to realize the purchase was a waste of money – no matter how beautiful the bouquet my fury didn’t weaken. During that same brief period I managed to lose appreciation for one of nature’s most beautiful gifts.

As I’m writing this I’m thinking to myself how immature my thought process is as it relates to categorizing disappointment. I say “is” and not “was” because as of this very day I can’t think of the last time I purchased myself flowers or stopped to smell them for that matter.

Truth be told I love flowers, my favorites being the calla lilly and hydrangea. I enjoy the smell of flowers and the beauty boost they give a room. Without thinking too hard I can identify a few flavors, places, and people I don’t like because of a specific affiliation – things I’ve unjustly banished from my life during a period of misplaced defiance.

{Insert Chuckle} I stayed in my marriage for ten years, I’ve been divorced for almost ten years, that’s a huge period of my life! If I had a child he / she would have grown up believing his / her mother doesn’t like flowers – he / she would have taught my grandchildren that I didn’t like flowers. Whew, my whole hypothetical bloodline wouldn’t appreciate the beauty of flowers because I had convinced myself that I didn’t like them.

Um, makes me think of relatives I never knew because my grandfather didn’t associate with them – colors I never wore because my mother didn’t think it complimented my complexion – places I didn’t visit because it wasn’t something my family did.

If you’ve cut someone / something out from your life due to association I challenge you to ask yourself if it / they were the problem or a casualty of the problem. If it / they were the problem walk away without regret but if it / they were a casualty examine what you’re missing out on. Generational baggage needs to be unpacked! Some of it will be as simple as buying a bouquet of flowers and enjoying the aroma – some may require mediation, counseling, therapy. Whichever speaks to your situation, you owe it to yourself to lesson your load.

(Wusband: was my husband)