Giving Flowers - What do you value?

I have been thinking a little bit about value lately. Value and price are two seperate things. Everyone values things differently which is why some people spend thousands on a stamp collection and others.... don't.

Value is not a question of being able to afford something, its about the priority of spending your money on things that are important to you. For some people, its flowers, cars, TVs, mountain bikes, stamp collections.

The things that are valuable to some people mean nothing to others, and that is just as it should be. We all value different things.

Flowers are a great example of value.

My parents do not give flowers.

They say that flowers are too expensive and a waste of money since they will be dead in a few days time anyway.

I love flowers and will happily spend $100+ per bouquet to gift to someone for a special occasion.

I REALLY love receiving them, which is probably why I love to gift them. It makes me feel really special and valued because I know that the sender cares about me enough to buy them. The sender thought about what I would like when selecting the colour and style of bunch, they considered how much was an appropriate amount to spend for the gifting occasion and the fact that flowers don't last forever makes them even more precious to me.

I don't know enough about flowers to know the secret meanings of each flower, in fact, if its not something simple like a rose or a winter lily I'd be lucky to even know what it is. I still love them though!

I would happily receive a bouquet of flowers over a box of chocolates any day of the week.

I love seeing the gifted flowers sitting in my home, smelling lovely in the evenings (my favourite time of day) because they make me feel special day after day. They remind me of the person who sent them thinking of me which also makes me feel really good.

I realised that sending flowers is not about the moment of handing them over, it is about how they make the recipient feel in that moment of reception and then for the days that follow.

A bouquet of flowers warms the home space, brightens and lifts, supports and calms.

It's a gift that keeps on giving and that is why I value them.

My parents do not feel this way about flowers, and that is ok. They value other things.

Photography is similar.

Photography is about how you feel in that moment of capture and then for the days, months and years that follow.

Family images on the walls warms the home space, brightens and lifts, supports and calms.

If you value the photography experience, quality imagery and fine art products then you will happily invest in it because you understand that "photography" is not about a cheap digital file on a USB, it is about the entire experience that you will reflect on every time you see the images hanging on your walls for the rest of your life.

Photography is an experience that keeps on giving year after year.