The flower lady

These bouquets could be found all over the neighbourhood. People bought them from the flower lady on 8th. She had this amazing garden with these flowers that she cut and bound into bunches and sold them for $1 or 2 each.

She was elderly, a bit hunch-backed and usually either in her garden or in her driveway making the bouquet wearing a large straw hat.

I often bought flowers from her, from her little stand with a jar for the money. I never talked with her, except for a quick "Hello, beautiful flowers today!" - she never seemed like she wanted to talk.

She brought a lot of colour and joy to this neighbourhood and I think not many people knew much about her. I didn't even know her name.

Now I do.

Her name was Georgia. She was born in 1920 and passed away in 2010. The little stand that used to be filled with her flowers now just has note with her name and the year she was born and the year she died. Someone is putting fresh flowers on the stand in her memory, in the same mason jars her little bouquets used to be in.

Thank you for your flowers, Georgia!