I walked past a lot of flowers today. And lined up, with
armsful of roses, were guys. Lots of guys.

 At Stop & Shop, the queue was three deep. Most held
varying versions of the rose bouquet for their sweetie. But one young man held
up for consideration a potted white orchid, clearly thinking: “This is really
beautiful, as beautiful as s/he is.”

 Down Crafts Avenue, past all the little shops, Forget Me Not
Florists had once again scattered a rose petal path leading to the store in the
Roundhouse Plaza.

 At Petals in Bloom, in Thornes, at the eleventh hour (that
would be 5:30 p.m., after work): the line was six deep. All guys, except for
one woman in a sweet green half-hat, all looking for the perfect bouquet to
express their love.

 Heavenly Chocolates was doing big business too.

 It’s a big day for Colombia, for Ecuador. Those flowers all flew
from South America. With a few exceptions: there’s a rose farm in Connecticut
that supplies some, such as River Valley Market.

 A day devoted to love. Tell me, how could that be bad? No, don't tell me. I choose to believe in love.