Why Pink Roses Remind Us Of Meredith

We lived in Texarkana, Texas, when Meredith was born. It is a twin city on the Arkansas - Texas state lines. My husband was raised there and I always loved the town, with its Stateline Avenue that went right down the two state lines and the old post office built right on the lines. There's a photo opportunity spot outside the post office where one can stand with one foot in Texas and one foot in Arkansas.
My mother in law asked me what flowers I wanted for the casket piece. She and my parents were going to pay for it. I told her I wanted pink rosebuds. She said there wasn't time to order roses from Shreveport,LA., a larger town not too far from us. I didn't even think about the fact that we were only about two hours or so from Tyler,Texas, the Rose Capitol of Texas, and there are lots of roses growing there in October, the month of the annual Rose Festival. Anyway, I went along with her and got pink carnations, but I always wished I had roses for my baby. Over the years I have brought her roses, roses with petals so soft that they must have felt like her skin. Roses of a soft pink that reminded me of her coloring, roses worthy of my daughter. I have saved rose petals to scatter on her grave when I go to visit, rose petals for my one perfect rose who budded far too soon.