Summer of Recovery?

Summer of recovery? It's a statement coming from the government, repeated by the POTUS and the VPOTUS as they stomp around the country campaigning and fund raising. Is it really a summer of recovery?

We made a delivery the other day to a small shop. My husband stayed a while to visit with the store manager and asked how business is going. He said that business is really slow and they have experienced several theft that they have a new policy that customers have to leave their handbag at the front desk. He also mentioned that there's another small business which now locks their doors and have their customers ring their doorbell to get in to get their service. The Teriyaki Place we loved to go for lunch didn't survive, they finally closed in June. I suspect another flowershop closed because I got 3 phone calls this week from people seeking employment. Ever since I was burglarized, I've started locking my doors and have customers ring the doorbell if they need flowers. Besides, most of my customers make their flower order over the phone or on the web.
Here in Sacramento, our economy depend so much on state and government employees. For small businesses like a flower shop, our fear is that business will be affected negatively with the impending furloughs. Furloughs ended in June but because of the inability of the legislators to come up with a budget on time, the governor uses the state employees as pawns.
So, is it a summer of recovery? Most small business owners don't think so, especially when you know personally someone who is laid off.

In the Loss of Life

Death is inevitable, but for those of us who are left behind, we are not always prepared when it happens. As a florist, we see a lot of death, from a distance. The bereaved come in to order flowers to honor their loved one or friends and relatives that are far away call for their flower order either for delivery to the family home or to the service at a church or a funeral home.

Last week, a sister of the deceased came in to order flowers for the memorial service. She mentioned that the family is raising funds for the funeral by doing car washes and appealing to their church for help. A church member came in the next day to put in a deposit. The living sister called and promised to pay the rest the next day. However, the day of the memorial, I called but there was no answer. Two hours before the memorial service, she called to say that her mother went to another florist and ordered flowers. She proceeded to say she'll come in to pay for the rest of her balance, but that we don't have to deliver the flowers. I told her, since we haven't yet delivered the flowers, she doesn't have to come in to pay for the flowers. I wonder what the family is going through and it seems that the loss of their loved one has created misunderstanding and hard feelings.

I usually go through the Obituary section of the paper. A week ago, I saw that one of our accounts lost her husband. I knew he was going through cancer treatments, yet, the news of his death still took me by surprise. Yesterday, I saw that another of our good customers just passed away. I know she's old and lost her husband last year. Her husband used to buy flowers for her and her children, now they're both gone and it saddens me because I have lost two dear friends.

What helps in the healing process is my faith in God and saying a prayer for the loved ones of the deceased. It also reminds me to be grateful of my living dear friends, relatives and loved ones.

Gentle Thoughts by Sacramento Florist