The Power of Peonies

I am occasionally bestowed a bouquet of flowers at the office for taking on a task or assisting with a project.  Regrettably, the gesture is always appreciated more so than the flowers, so I bring the color filled vases to my Mom, who enjoys cut flowers more than I. 

But this time was different.  Asked by a colleague to assist with a PowerPoint presentation, I designed and formatted it at home over the weekend on my own time, enjoying the creative process despite the many hours of work.

Back in the office on Monday morning – the two of us reviewed the presentation; tweaked it; practiced the technical aspects; and elevated it to perfection.  Satisfied, job well done.  After lunch, my colleague returned with two cellophane wrapped bouquets of huge compact peony buds on long stalks.  I borrowed a large glass vase from the lunchroom to put the stalks in water.  Once on display, the fragrance had passersby walk a little bit, slower to inhale just a little bit deeper.  The buds were magnificent in their uniqueness the scent transcending folks to different times and different places.

 

As the days passed, the blooms opened, more fragrant, and the magic started to happen.  Kelly walked by my desk, stopped and smiled.  "When I see peonies I remember my grandmother.  Her garden was full of them every Spring."  She then proceeded back to her desk, her face a little brighter.

On Friday, a quiet and "all business" Director, Dan, came through the office door, focused on his destination in the neighboring department.  He glanced toward my cubicle.  "Beautiful flowers"  "Peonies" I said.  Dan changed his course and wandered over to get a closer look.  "Peonies are one of my favorite garden flowers" he said, "if only they would last longer.  And then there is the ants. Cannot be brought into the house."  Then Dan proceeded to tell me about his flower gardens and the recent loss of his beloved hydrangea bush that he had for 15 years.  He talked about replacing it with a new hybrid that produces multiple colors of blooms.  The more he talked, his facial features softened, until a warm smile  He ended his flower garden tales by telling me of three hydrangea bushes in an 'island' bed in his front yard.  They had not been faring well and he was sure to lose them despite many efforts to revive them.  He asked his brother-in-law, who asked "his guy" - who suggested a specific fertilizer.  The three bushes lived and are thriving.  

The peonies invited conversation where there was previously nothing to prompt exchange.  The peonies gave occasion to step away from work and transcend to more pleasant times and places.  The peonies, more than any other flower that has sat upon my desk, displayed a power to connect people.

 

 

And yes, the vase of peonies did eventually end up on Mom's kitchen table, which initiated a long overdue visit between us, and will hopefully bring about magical encounters for Mom in her home.