A Floral Farewell

I may find myself on Madison Avenue in Forest Park on occasion; either waiting for Ella's dance class to get out or when indulging in our favorite scoops from Brown Cow.  I can guarantee that I always pause outside of Moss, a local flower shop to see what lies inside.  Chris's (the owner) aesthetic is unfussy but thoughtful, creative and natural.  The flowers and displays are anything but expected.  I look into that shop and think to myself, "this is what I want to do when I grow up".  You see, Ella and Viv, even when you are thirty-seven, you may still wonder what it is you want to do with your life and that's ok.  Keep wondering...it makes you interesting.
So after a quick inquiry with the shop, I booked an evening to close the doors, uncork some wine and learn about flowers with eight other women I met through daycare.  These are the women I have spent the last several years with exchanging knowing glances as our kids cry for us as we leave for work.  These are the women who will juggle permission slips as well as run a medical clinic or work on health-care reform policies...they, as a whole, are a fascinating group.  These are women who know what it is like to dash into the drive way at 6 p.m. and attempt to throw a healthy dinner together.  They amaze me and it was so fun to share this chapter of our lives with them.  So as our kids move on to Kindergarten soon, it was a sort of graduation for us as well.  There was no running, no fussing and no guilt.  Just flowers and fellow comrades.