Bird of Paradise Flower

I used to live in California with my true love.  Of course sure, she is still my true love, but we no longer live in California.  There is a lot to say for living in that state.  It is really one of the most beautiful places that I've ever seen.  It is just drop dead gorgeous, from the ocean to the mountains.  But one of the things about it that I like the very best of all is the flora. Why I remember like it was yesterday.  When I lived there there was a bird of paradise flower growing at nearly every corner, and that is a fact.  I love birds of paradise flowers.  I think they are some of the most beautiful blooms that I have ever seen.  But where I live now, the climate is not suited for a bird of paradise flower.  Oh sure, if you work hard at it you can make one grow in a greenhouse, but who really wants to work that hard just for birds of paradise flowers.  Still, I miss the bird of paradise far, and so does my wife. For both of us, there is nothing that represents California quite like these miraculous plants.

That is why I was so happy when I found a bird of paradise flower at the local florist.  It was not quite as fresh as they would be at home.  In truth, it had seen better days, and was a few days wilted.  But in spite of all that, it was still what I was looking for, a bird of paradise flower, one of the most sought after and extravagance blooms in the whole entire world.  I was practically giddy to have found it, and immediately purchased it for my wife.  When I brought it home to her that evening, she did not even notice that it looked a little bit wilted.  All she saw was what I saw: a bird of paradise flower --  just like home.  I do not know why it was such a poignant moment for both of us, but it really truly was.  I guess it was just that the Bird of Paradise flower somehow had come to represent what we had lost by moving away.  The smell, the look, really everything about it.  I hope we get to go visit sometime soon.  I cannot stay away from home for too much longer, and that is a fact.  Although I have always liked all flowers, and all living things for that matter, I still love the bird of paradise flower the best.