Our little town just got a chunk of its soul back recently when Sue Lamberti, our town’s florist for years, came out of retirement to open a new florist shop. It may sound like a minor thing, but it feels like we got some of the town’s heart back; Sue’s sudden retirement left a big hole in Cambridge. We needed a place to buy flowers locally and give them to people.

Maria and I are flower people – I’m an addict –  and I don’t mean taking photos.

We give flowers to everyone we know at one time or another. I bring them to Mansion residents, Sue Silverstein, friends on birthdays and in hospitals,  the harried staff at Walgreens, nurses in my doctor’s offices on anniversaries, friends we visit, and most often, just because we love to give people flowers.

I’ve been doing this all of my life.

Maria loves flowers at any time of year, and I haven’t been able to feed that beautiful craving. I’ve already brought her some from Sue’s store.

Sue Lamberti, a kind and shy person, had a beautiful flower shop in her house on the edge of town. One day, I showed up to buy flowers and found she was gone. It wasn’t the end of the world, but I’ve always thought a town without a florist was somewhat barren and lonely. She said she was tired of running a business and needed a break. She seems tired of having a break and wants to sell flowers.

That’s what it felt like to me.

She said she missed being a florist and decided to come back. She did it with class and diversity; there are all kinds of goodies in that shop, from stuffed toys for kids to flowers to too many things to name. Her new shop reflects her knowledge of the town and her connection to it. There are kinds of things to look at and buy, most of them inexpensive and sweet.

Sue had a beautiful retriever who hung out in her shop; he was as sweet and friendly as Zinnia.

Her dog died, and she got an Australian Shepherd to replace him. She loves the dog, but he’s too excited to come to a florist and craft shop – Sue is selling many things in her new shop. We bought some daffodils for $6 each this morning, and I suddenly realized she was the same Sue who had been our florist before.

I’ve mainly been dealing with Michael, her partner when I come to the store, and Sue, who was so quiet (she retired five or six years ago) that I didn’t recognize her. She was too shy to identify with me, but I asked her where I knew her, and it clicked this morning.

Small businesses frequently close in cities, and some other business replaces it. When small companies leave a small town, it leaves an empty hole that’s hard to replace. We bought flowers this morning, and then Maria, delighted as I was to connect with Sue again, went back to the store this afternoon to bring some flowers to a friend she is taking a walk with right now.

Florists are not just another store. I’ve learned about the power flowers have to uplift people and mark the passages of life.

Maria and I are both flower lovers, as is obvious, and I brought Zinnia in to greet Sue; they had a beautiful meeting. I told Sue she could borrow Zinnia any time she needed to have a dog.  Sue loves dogs, and I believe she will always have one. It was a happy and much valued return.

I bought two boxes of chocolates today and brought them to Walgreens. I admire the staff there for many reasons.

One is that I need them and talk to them often, and another is that they are consistently courteous and helpful. Sometimes, I hear people giving them a hard time because of the high cost of medicine. It’s not the tech’s fault, so every month or so, I drop off some chocolates to brighten life in the pharmacy. Sue’s Cambridge Flower Shop store is just around the corner.

Sue is high on my list of portraits of people I like, respect, or love. I don’t know her well enough yet to love her, but I love her shop. She is nice. There are lots of beautiful flowers there.  I like Michael, too; they are courteous and easy to talk with.

I had the hunch before she retired that I made Sue a bit nervous. I often have that impact on people I dont know. Sometimes I imagine it, sometimes it’s true.

I didn’t get that feeling today.

Welcome back, Sue, you were missed, and you are welcome home. The town is richer for your return.

You are on my list of people in my life I want to revisit, talk to, and photograph.