A week or so after Dan's services, we received two plants.  One is a Peace Lily that came from my friend Alison.  The other is a Gardenia that came from the local chapter of the Association of Government Accountants.  I was active in this chapter for many years and reduced my involvement after Dan was born.

I have never been good with flowers, especially indoor plants.  I usually forget to water them and they die.  That and our cat has a tendency to eat things, so I've always been worried that she will eat plants.

When the Peace Lily arrived, it had two white flowers that were open.  The Gardenia had buds, but they weren't open.  We moved the plants around the house several times in order to find the ideal place for the plants for the right amount of light and heat.  But the buds on the Gardenia died without opening.  The Lily flowers eventually died too.  Both plants had lots of green leaves, but no buds.

We repotted the plants into bigger pots, gave them some fertilizer sticks and finally figured out a watering schedule.

Finally, in mid June, we had buds on both plants.  And the buds opened!  And both were white!

According to www.flowermeaning.org:

White Flowers

Black and white are highly symbolic, yet technically neither are actually colors. White reflects all colors whereas black absorbs all light. As opposites they contrast sharply - where white reveals, black conceals. Both have strong religious connotations.

WHITE FLOWERS

White signifies purity and perfection and can represent a successful beginning. It is no accident that virgins and brides wear white. White symbolizes wholeness, openness, truth and kindness.

WHITE FLOWERS

Always popular in spring bouquets, while flowers are strongly featured in bridal work and funeral pieces. White daisies symbolize loyalty in love and white magnolias evoke feelings of the Deep South.

SPATIAL EFFECTS OF WHITE FLOWERS

White enlarges. Whereas too much white is clinical, white becomes warmer when mixed with red or yellow.
When we talk about white color in general then image of peace process aimed at bringing alround calm come to the mind but white flower depicts different meaning. White color in context of flowers means elements of innocence, humility, and reverence, white flowers evoke simple beauty.

Whether they take their shape as the luxurious, silk petals of fragrant gardenias, the small, white bells of a lily of the valley, or the quiet drama of a dozen white roses, fresh floral arrangement dominated by white blossoms conveys modesty and elegance. Never forget the power of white flowers in generating a soothing image of your memorable moment’s surroundings when you are celebrating them.

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Not only are my friends and colleagues wonderful by giving us the recurring gift of blooming flowers, they also chose white flowers.  White is always peaceful and pure and is a constant reminder of the innocence of a child's life.

Thank you seems so inadequate.

It has taken me forever to get pictures of the flowers, so this post was delayed by over a year.  But the pictures are here:

Gardenia plant:

Peace Lilly: