On Sending Flowers to a Writer

Warning! If you know a writer, be careful how you acknowledge that person’s efforts in the publishing  world. Case in point.

My wife, Barb happened to be home one day when I was out running errands. When I got back, she eyed me with raised eyebrows and pursed lips. Finally she said, “And, ah who might be sending you flowers?” Flowers? I had no idea what she was talking about and said so. “Uh huh,” she replied with an even more intense stare while pointing to a long fancy box sitting on the kitchen counter.

“For me?” I asked, truly surprised. No one but Barb and my mother had ever sent me flowers before.  “You’re name’s on it, not mine,” Barb said. Slowly, the suspicious look on her face began to make sense. Oh Jeez, I wondered, who did send those things to me?

“Sooo, open it up and let’s find out,” she prodded but her tone was still, shall we say, ever so slightly accusatory. She might tell you differently but that’s how I remember it.

“Sure,” I fired back, grabbing the box and trying my best to exude as much innocence as possible. The problem was though, no special occasion existed and flowers are not usually what a guy sends to another guy.

“Very pretty,” Barb said, once I opened the box, and they were, gorgeous, in fact. The thing is, her words didn’t come with a smile, instead they were expressed through a bit of a frown.

Needing to put us both out of our misery, I finally ripped open the card. Much to my relief, it was signed by Al, my old college buddy and his wife. The flowers were their way to congratulate me on my recent publishing ventures. Totally unexpected. Barb’s response? “Good thing!” Yeah she softened after that but innocence aside, I definitely felt I had dodged a bullet.

My advise to you is this. If you’re going to send flowers to a writer friend, give fair warning. I’m emailing this posting to Al so he’ll know what ripples preceded the full appreciation of his gift and what to do next, if there is a next time. Thanks again, Al. I think.