On call......

   I remember those days, you never knew when the phone was going to ring. It was the weekend or holiday most times. When your phone rang a certain tone you knew that no matter what you were doing you had to drop everything for your customers.
   Today, the phone ran Heather's ring tone and I knew it was time to go to work. Heather is on spring break thousands of miles away and it's my responsibility to tend to the shop. Sure enough she had received a call from a family needing casket flowers. I called the family and we made arrangements. So back to the shop I headed. As I was driving I recalled all those times I had to work late, go in on Sunday after church to design funeral flowers. There was one Thanksgiving I put my turkey in the oven and headed to the shop. The family wanted to have Grandma's visitation on Thanksgiving Day when everyone was home.  They spent the day with family sharing memories of Grandma.
   Being on call is not a bad thing. We don't get a email from God telling us that someones going to pass away on a certain day. We just kinda go with the flow and work it into our routine. That's part of your job description of being a florist. Always there for your customer at the drop of a hat. Listening to them tell you all about their loved one and hearing the funny stories. You form a bond with them and when they tear up so do you. As you listen to them tell family memories you began to let your mind wonder as to the design of the spray....today it was an older lady who had enjoyed 95 years of loving her family. As I finished the spray I stepped back and gave it a look.......it was just as I pictured her in my mind.