This last weekend, we attending a beautiful reception in celebration of my cousin's wedding. This was the first time I've been in the same location with my mother's two sisters, and most of my cousins, for many years. We had a wonderful time catching up, and seriously, the force of all of our boisterous personalities would have knocked a bystander off of their feet. I come from outgoing stock, you see.

My children had a blast working the reception, and accepted compliments and cookies with abandon. Our trips through the buffet line resembed a conga line, with all the giggling and jockeying for position for a good spot to grab some more chicken skewers and asparagus.

After the gorgeous bride and groom had their first dance, they gathered all the single women for the bouquet toss. My sister made her way into the fray, and prepared to take out whoever got in her way. My sister is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, so I felt for the other single women. As it was, I needn't have worried.

The bride turned her back, and the bouquet soared overhead. The scene played out in silent, slow-motion. Arms reached aloft, and spectators glanced skyward. The scrum of single woman nudged and shuffled, battle-ready in heels and skirts.

The bouquet disappeared into a sea of hands, and suddenly there was a thump. The bouquet hit the ground. My sister leaned down and scooped it up, and then proceeded to make a victory lap around the reception, waving the flowers overhead. I questioned my cousin, who had been standing next the the downed bouquet, about the series of events that led up to my sister going all Rocky Balboa on the stairs about 'catching' the bouquet.

Apparently, my cousin, a fantastic athlete, found herself in possession of the flowers when they first entered the huddle. She said "I caught them, and then realized what that meant, so I quickly dropped them." Heh.

My sister, however, was delighted with that turn of events, and dove right down for them. Wooo!

After countless group photos, we headed home, clutching two of the bridesmaid's bouquets for my girls to enjoy.

Yesterday, my son came into the kitchen, holding one of the bouquets and looking sad.

"Mommy, why are all these flowers dying?"

"Well, they cut the flowers to make the bouquet, honey. Once you cut a flower, it dies."

"Why did they DO that? That's so horrible! They took a thing of beauty and killed it!"

"Well, um..."

"Why didn't they keep the roots on it? Why?"

I had visions of dirt smeared brides carrying bare root rose bushes down the aisle.

"Uh..."

"Mommy, this is horrible. Look at this little rosebud. It died before it even had a chance to bloom!" He burst into tears.

"Oh! Uh. Hmm. Well, you see, even if you leave the flowers on the bush, they still die. It's part of the circle of life for the plant. They flower, and then make seeds, and that makes new plants. Besides, trimming some of the flowers keeps the plants healthy. Like when you get a haircut. It's good for the plant."

He raised his hand up to his head, with a look of horror on his tear-streaked face.

"I'm never cutting my hair again!"