Pieces of My Heart

Dried rosebuds... representing pieces of my heart... collected over the years... received from precious friends.

Each time I received some roses in a vase of flowers, I saved the buds. If I had to move and toss them, I'd start over again to collect more.

Memories... people I've known who have come and gone, leaving traces of their hearts with mine. 

An infant son once taught me what unconditional love felt like... before he transformed through stages of his own life to become a parent himself.

In order to experience loss, one must endure times of intense love. And I don't think anyone ever really gets over empty nest syndrome. 

However, when I needed additional care from home health attendants, new rosebuds arrived I never knew were possible. I suddenly had more 'children' to love.

One article I read says it takes 242,000 rose petals to distill approximately 5 mL of rose oil. I wonder how many rose petals are in a single bud. I don't want to take any of mine apart to count. I have rose bushes growing out in front of my apartment, but I don't want to take any of them apart either. In my mind, it's a symbolic thing.

I think I must have experienced 242,000 experiences that formed my heart. Thus, I collect rosebuds in a heart-shaped glass bowl to symbolize this.

And now it is the end of Memorial Day. After seeing a lot of social media posts, I know many of my friends and cousins are reminiscing about rosebuds of their own.

Here's a rosebud for you.