Guys Like Flowers, Right?

   Last week when I was driving home from work, I got stuck in a pretty nasty traffic jam. I took an exit that I don't normally take, thinking that driving through town would be faster. However, when I passed a little fruit stand by the side of the road and saw a hand-painted sign that said "ROSES - $5.00/HALF DOZEN", I got an idea.
   My mom once had flowers sent to my grandpa for his birthday. "I didn't know what to get him!" she explained. "I always get Grandma flowers, but guys never get flowers. So I tried something different."
   If my mom can do it, so can I.
   I didn't really know what Dylan would think of getting roses, but I knew he thought flowers were pretty cool. And if they were from me, he would definitely appreciate them. At least, I hoped.
   I got out of the car and asked the boy working there for a half dozen roses.
   "We only have a dozen-rose bouquet left," he replied. "It's ten dollars."
   I pulled some cash out of my wallet and counted it. Only eight bucks. "Never mind -- I only have eight dollars. Thanks anyway," I said, and started to walk away.
   "Wait!" he yelled. "It's okay. You can have them anyway."
   After asking him if he was sure, I accepted his offer, but promised to bring him the extra two dollars on my way home from work the next day.
   When I got home, Dylan was napping on the couch, so I tiptoed past him and left the flowers on the kitchen counter where he would see them. A few minutes later, he woke up, and the first words out of his mouth were, "Who bought you flowers?"
   "I got them for you!" I said a little sheepishly. It took a couple minutes to convince him that I really had just bought him red roses and hadn't gotten them from some secret admirer. He didn't say much, but smiled a little and gave me a hug.
   Later that evening (like, three hours later), he said, "Suz, thank you for the flowers. I was a little embarrassed at first because I've never gotten roses like that, but it really meant a lot more than I let on. That was really cool."
   Stepping out of the box and doing the untraditional is a bit hard for me. But I'm learning that it's almost always worth it. Whatever you decide, whether it's to buy flowers for your boyfriend or to wear striped socks to work, make up your mind, and just go for it. Choose your path and run it, full speed ahead. And whatever you do, don't look back.