The Story of the Snapdragon

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away.....well, more like twenty two years ago in a little city where I was born, I was going through a very dark period in my life....probably one of the darkest that I've been through.  My daddy had died, and the light had gone out of my world.  There is much in the weeks surrounding his death that I don't remember.  I guess it was my defense mechanism kicking into overdrive.  I remember being in complete denial and feeling completely numb and just waiting to wake up from my horrible nightmare.  But I remember very little in the way of details about those weeks.  I do have one memory in particular, though, that always makes me smile and has resulted in me having a particular flower that reigns above all others on my list of favorites. 

At one of the viewings for my daddy, I was sitting in a chair surrounded by my friends.  As we were all between the ages of 12-14, my friends didn't know what to say to me.  But, to their credit, they never left my side in those days.  In fact, looking back, I am amazed at the wisdom of them--how they knew instinctively that I needed them there but also knew (or maybe didn't know by innocence) that I didn't need them to say anything--I just needed them there.  I do not remember smiling at all and feeling like I had nothing to smile about.  Sitting on a table next to me was a bouquet of beautiful flowers that some well-wisher had sent.  My friend Pam, who I had known since I was fairly little, reached over and pointed out some snapdragons in the bouquet.  I had never seen a snapdragon and didn't know what it was.  To be very honest, I wasn't really interested at first.  But then, Pam squeezed the sides of the delicate little flower and started making the flower "talk" to me in a funny little voice.  It was so silly and so spontaneous, that I burst out laughing.  It was the first time I had laughed in as long as I can remember.  And I laughed hard.  It felt amazing and freeing.  I remember feeling so grateful for Pam and all of her silliness. 

To this day, whenever I send flowers to someone going through something difficult in their lives, my one request is that it includes snapdragons.  I have planted them in my yard, too.  Whenever I get bouquets from my husband, he knows to include them.  Snapdragons ALWAYS remind me to smile, to keep my chin up, and to remember that better days are coming.  It's crazy that such a simple little flower can hold such amazing and beautiful meaning for someone, but they really do for me.  They are a symbol of hope and happiness, and a reminder of good friends that help pull you through the hard times. 

I hope that everyone can have a snapdragon to talk silly talk to them in an hour of need.  Sometimes, it's the simplest, most irrelevant things that are able to snap us out of our darkness.