From roses to gypsies, they hold a charm that becomes a representation of our feelings and emotions. As gifts, they work equally well in moments of joy or sorrow, and for the recipient, a carefully selected bouquet can transform a mundane day into an extraordinary one.
Flowers, in their varied colours and with their lasting fragrance have a symbolic value that can make our darkest days better. Research suggests, a bouquet can help fight anxiety and reduce stress and depression; their soothing presence brings comfort. Besides, the wide range of flowers that one can offer as gifts makes it a perfect present for every occasion. There is also one flower for every relationship, from romantic affiliations to familial bonds.
Photo: Shahrear Kabir Heemel
Flowers. Innocent and beautiful, they come as close to perfection as nature allows and it is one of the best ways to show the people in your life that you care about them and are thinking of them. An important reason why flowers are so dear to people, especially women, is their symbolic attachment to romance.
Roses, especially, symbolise love and receiving them from loved ones never fails to make people feel special. Wasima Ahmedi, a literature professor at a renowned university reminisces the first time she received flowers from her husband.
“We were friends then and he had casually bought me some yellow roses on Eid from a street vendor. Three years later, he proposed with a full bouquet of red roses. The relationship had changed and so had the colour of the roses!” she gushed.
Surprisingly, flowers are popular for the same reason they are thought of as impractical gifts by many — their lack of functionality. While a kitchen appliance such as a food processor is a great gift in terms of the utility it provides, it can fall flat on romantic occasions. A bouquet, on the other hand, fresh cut and fragrant, and gifted for no other purpose than to make the receiver feel important and adored, is a great gesture!
Photo: Shahrear Kabir Heemel
“Every time I look at the blooms my husband brings home for me once a week, I feel like I matter,” says Shama Afroze, a middle-aged homemaker. “He goes out of his way to pick the flowers for me and it makes me realise that I’m on his mind, even years after marriage!”
Flowers capture moments but the emotions they evoke last a long time.
“They look and smell great for a day or two, and then they wither away and have to be thrown away,” says Latifa Zarin, a homemaker and mother to a 29-year-old. “But until the last petal falls, I keep taking care of them because my son thought of me when he bought them.”
Photo: Shahrear Kabir Heemel
Latifa shares that she had preserved the flower her husband had given her on the first night of her marriage decades ago and still looks at it from time to time.
While most gifts are things the receiver has asked for or is already looking forward to receiving, flowers present an element of surprise that people live for! Rarely announced, they bring a smile to the receiver’s face unexpectedly and without occasion. It makes them feel special on days when they are not particularly feeling too special. It’s a warm reminder that they are exceptional, and worthy of love and appreciation, just the way they are.
Model: Proma
MUA: Badhon
