for 19 NOV 05: A RIVERSIDE ROMANCE
(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this humorous, serious, or a little of both - but from time to time, we offer things to reflect upon as we keep the seventh-day Sabbath.)
Thursday's high was only 55 degrees F. in Columbus - but there I was around 5:15 p.m., doing my duty and running on the Riverwalk in a T-shirt and shorts. I passed one couple wearing winter coats and said: "You're not cold out here, are you?"
Yet I'll remember Thursday's run for much more than my 1.7-mile nonstop distance and the temperature. The first sign of something unusual occurred near the crime victims' memorial on the Riverwalk. On top of a park bench lay a single, long-stemmed rose. Well, it beats dropping bread crumbs for leaving a trail.
But as I jogged on to Rotary Park, then turning around near the Dolly Madison bakery and returning, the sightings continued. There was another single rose. Then another and another. Either there's a nice proposal coming, I thought - or this was a strange way to promote a flower shop.
(It was tempting to pick up a rose or two for souvenirs - but I figured out these flowers were NOT for me. If I have a "secret admirer" somewhere, I might not know for sure unless a card was left in my mailbox.)
I presumed I'd have to leave this an open question - but that all changed as I jogged down the Riverwalk hill toward the Civic Center. A couple approached me, and the man held several roses in his left hand.
"I wondered where all the roses came from," I said as I slowed to a stop. Well, correct that -- my jogging pace is slow to begin with.
The couple provided me the rest of the story. Thursday was the man's 23rd birthday, and his wife decided to take him to the Riverwalk and hold a "scavenger hunt." So they walked along, collecting roses she left for him in advance. That certainly beats pulling out historic markers.
I would have guessed a man might do this for his wife or girlfriend, but the roles were reversed here. Hopefully this young husband likes roses. More than enough guys I know would have been happier with NASCAR collectibles or deer carcasses.
It was the coldest afternoon in months in Columbus, and the sun was already hiding behind Phenix City's trees to add to the chill. Yet on this day, the Riverwalk was in bloom. In several ways. And I jogged home feeling joyous about it. Imagine if someone really had left the roses there for ME....
The church I attend will have a pre-Thanksgiving dinner Saturday evening. Is there someone special you're thankful for - someone who hasn't received thanks from you in a long time? Then don't wait for next Thursday. Do what this young woman did, or something just as fun or creative. After all, love can grow inside even when it's cold outside.
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