"That which we call a rose, By any other name, would smell as sweet."

I love roses.  I think they are some of the most beautiful flowers in the world.  I have a special fondness for heritage roses...those rose strains that have not been bred with others to change specific traits about them. 

Last year, after Lorne and I became a couple, he acquired a small rose plant and planted it out on the grounds he uses for his religious practices.  It was a tiny sliver of a plant and he was VERY concerned that it would not make it through the winter.  He planted it about May of last year and nurtured it so that it would have solid root growth for the winter.  H watered it, kept it mulched and gave it regular fertilizer.  He reports on the progress of "my rose" weekly and , according to him, it is doing quite well.

I think that our relationship is a lot like that little rose plant.  It started off with a tiny sliver and we have both worked really hard to keep it not only alive, but to keep it growing too.  We know that we have to work very hard to keep the lines of communication open.  Something that is not easily done when you have 2,000 miles separating you and visits are twice a year.  The "fertilizer" of our relationship is that we tell each  other the truth...even when it is painful for us to tell (or hear) because we know that without the ability to be so open and honest with each other, we run the risk of other things coming between us.

Yup...I love roses...not only are they some of the most beautiful plants, but they can be some of the most hardiest as well.