A Gift of Flowers Lord Tennyson wrote a simple poem about winter: “The frost is here and fuel is dear and woods are sear, and fires burn clear; the frost is here and has bitten the heel of the going year” A more cheerful poem was written by an unknown poet who wrote playfully and optimistically: “I am the little new year, ho, ho! Here I come tripping in over the snow shaking my bells with a merry din. So open your doors and let me in. Presents I bring for each and all, big folks, little folks, short and tall; each one from me a treasure may win. So, open your doors and let me in! As we prepare to attend, or host, gatherings of family and friends to greet the new year, fresh flowers are the perfect present to give to others and to ourselves. They freshen up our homes and gladden our hearts. Nowadays the availability of a variety of cut flowers in the stores year round, is a gift in itself. Even a single flower, in the depth of winter, is a miracle and a symbol of hope. The very impermanence of flowers makes them precious. At the change of the year, in the dead of winter, flowers can enhance our celebrations and remind us to savor the opportunities a fresh new year will bring. Time, like a flower is fleeting, but time with family and friends, like a flower, is precious and sweet.