Throwing away flowers, especially when the love of your life brings them, may sound rude and hurtful, but it was when Stephanie finally got a chance to communicate what she had wanted to for so long. Throwing away the anniversary flowers became the key to communication and was a turning point in the couple’s married life.
The first few months and, in some cases, years after marriage are beautiful. It is when you are fond of being around each other, smoothly fulfilling responsibilities, showing love side by side, and having an unbreakable connection. However, the parenting journey can be tiring, which is why it is said that marriage gets tough for new parents. Getting used to parenthood, handling the household chores equally well, and taking care of the logistics kept Stephanie and her husband so hooked that they forgot the intimacy and connection that previously existed at its peak between the couple.
Although Stephanie knows her husband loves her immensely, his lack of expressiveness was a big problem for the marriage. On some days when you feel low, words of comfort and a few little actions are enough to keep you from giving up. However, there were no changes despite giving the husband hints and verbally telling him how she wanted attention and to be heard and seen.
Stephanie understood his nature and knew she was heard every time she expressed herself; however, he only showed love through acts of service. Everyone has a different way of expressing emotions and love, and for Stephanie’s husband, it was keeping everything in order and doing chores. Everything was done out of love, and everything he put effort into was appreciated, but it was not enough to comfort her. Stephanie did not expect or need anything materialistic, but she knew how badly she wanted her husband to play with the kids and grow spiritually with her, too.
The couple has celebrated their anniversary since their last conversation about Stephanie complaining. Stephanie found a bouquet with a short note written by her husband on the table, saying he thinks he messed up again. The flowers were beautiful, multi-coloured roses, and who does not like receiving flowers? But the emptiness inside Stephanie took over that day. She did not want flowers, but the same old connection the couple had at the beginning of their relationship. For Stephanie, a few comfort hugs would mean much more than the card and roses.
Although Stephanie chose not to express everything again, as the husband was well aware of how she felt, every time she walked past the bouquet, the feeling of not being seen and heard took over, and it was frustrating. So, she decided to throw them away. Although it might look and sound rude to the husband, and she did not know how the husband would feel about it, the shift after this action was real!
He texted Stephanie, finally making her feel like her feelings were acknowledged. Stephanie’s husband wrote that he knew the flowers were not exactly what she needed and that recognition mattered more. But what made Stephanie’s day was how determined he was to overcome the disconnect rather than run away. He wanted their love ot revive rather than him hiding from it all.
Although he could keep behaving similarly, he was ready to bring the much-needed spark back into the marriage. Rather than faking smiles, he was okay with Stephanie tossing the bouquet, as new beginnings were what the couple looked forward to. Their commitment to loving each other and their efforts depict how intentional true love exists. Stephanie will forever be thankful for getting roses that day, as they helped fix things!
