Attitude of Gratitude

My Stargazer Lily

My favorite flower is the stargazer lily. I am moved by the rich pink center that emanates out eventually into pinkish red spots at the tips. And I love their slightly sweet and subtle aroma that can fill an entire room. In fact, their scent is how my love of stargazers began…

Many years ago during one of my first jobs, I was sent to Seattle to attend my first conference. It was the first of many trips for work. The first of nice hotel rooms. The first of business class. The first of per diems. The first of new cities.

I stayed there at the Westin, on the forty-something floor which has incredible panoramic views over the entire city. It is perfectly located near the Pike Place Market, where they throw slippery fish around while yelling at each other at the top of their lungs. I ate at the finest seafood restaurants – all paid for by work – I was so excited! And I went to my super dorky conference.

At said super dorky conference, I networked (gathered business cards), attended seminars (took notes), perused booths (got freebies), and attended key notes (set my beeper to stun). I must have looked a little lost (or possibly like I was too young to be there), because one day a man at the conference came up and we struck up a conversation. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes, plus had a great sense of humor. By the end of the week we were great friends (and still are).

Near the end of the week, I ran back to the hotel during lunchtime. My first thought when I entered the room is how wonderful it smelled, and how my fragrant perfume must have lingered for the several hours I was gone. And if you put two and two together, really I was thinking at how fabulous I must smell!

As I walked further into the room, however, I saw a huge bouquet of at least two dozen stargazer lilies, all in full bloom. It was an incredible site to see, and – another first – the first time I’d received dozens of stargazer lilies from a man at a conference in Seattle. And it was a little shocking… first because that incredible smell wasn’t me! and second because it was the first time I’d received dozens of stargazer lilies from a man at a conference in Seattle.

All of this is to say that today I’m grateful for stargazer lilies. I cannot help but enjoy them because at this moment their lovely scent is filling my Amsterdam apartment and flooding me with wonderful memories of that innocent time in my career. Ah, the sweet memories….