I never knew how to choose a favorite flower growing up. The idea of choosing something that spoke to my heart yet was beautiful all in its way didn’t quite make sense to me. I tried to detach the idea of just choosing one I loved simply because it fit the color I had grown to love so much and stood on its own. Something that wasn’t attached to a memory or something anyone else could ever be a part of, so I would never be able to feel as though it could be taken from me.
This left flowers holding a special place in my heart for whenever one would come across it. Whether it was a graduation boutique or simply flowers my parents would send me on my birthday. They all meant the world to me, yet I didn’t want to share that with anyone, at least not what it fully meant to me.
There was no secret my love of things that grew from the ground and for a while, in school, I was often caught photographing flowers in exchange for having to photograph models or people. Yet even with every photograph I took, I still found myself being the only one in my life who saw value in exchanging non-verbal “I love you’s” in everyday situations.
When flowers did fall into the equation of my life, tried hard not to showcase too much how much they meant to me, quickly displaying them and loving them while they lived on. While secretly keeping a few here or there to be dried or pressed for memories years to come.
As every good photographer knows, the best memories are worth sharing. And like anyone seeking to show their love to the world, I knew exactly what needed to be done.
Sidney Donna 