this was originally a response to Dharma's article at: https://www.joeuser.com/Forums.aspx?ForumID=17&AID=65369
But, it got too long, so I decided to post it on its own.

My husband has only bought me flowers 4 times since I have known him (over 11 years).  The first time was for no reason at all when we were dating/almost engaged.  He used to be in the Merchant Marines (which, in case anyone is confused, is not part of the military.  It is governed by the coast guard, and is the group of people who sail on freighters).  The second time he sent me flowers was on my birthday the year we got married (my b-day is about 3 weeks after our wedding day).  The third time he brought flowers home from the store for no reason.

My husband isn't exactly known as the "romantic" type.  I have a feeling that he just doesn't know how.  He had never really had a girlfriend before me...heck, he never really ever dated.  He was too interested in building race cars and doing "gear head" type stuff to pay attention to females.  So, he never really developed many romantic tendencies.  And, I don't really mind.  I know that he means well, and that he loves me, so it doesn't bother me that he doesn't really think that way.  I know that he also tries, but most of the time it just doesn't end up quite right.  But, I know his heart is in the right place.

Then, there was this Valentine's day.  He did something out of character. Something that the other girls in the office even had to think about.  I came into the office in the morning and there were roses on my desk.  There was also a single rose on each of the other girl's desks.  We first thought that one of the guys in the office did it, since there were some guys already there.  But, it wasn't from any of them.  Then we thought that maybe it was one of the other managers.  But, it wasn't.  I started wondering "why would I get a bunch and they only got one?"  There was no note with the flowers.  They were just there.

So, I emailed my husband and mentioned that I had a secret admirer.  Unfortunately, I also had mentioned that our daughter's school was canceled due to the freezing rain we got the night before.  He emailed back with a comment about school and nothing about the flowers.  I thought "now he is just messing with me".  He finally confessed.  He stopped on his way into work (went to a store that is open 24/7 because he starts work by 7am).  He has an emergency key for the office that he used to get in (I guess flowers are an emergency, right?) and then put the flowers on my desk and one on each of the other girl's desks so that we would be a bit confused and all the girls would get flowers.

It's not the flowers that I love.  It's the fact that he put thought and effort into having them on my desk when I got to work, and that he also included the other girls in the office.