Don't Get Emotional

It’s Easter Sunday, and I’m driving to the marae, casket spray in tow. This spray represents 90 years of a life beautifully lived. The arrangement is fresh, carefully made, and meaningful. I’m here to deliver it, not to fall apart. As a florist, you learn quickly — this job isn’t just about flowers, it’s about carrying the weight of other people’s emotions.

The surprise, when you step into this work, is just how much of that weight comes with the job. Flowers are never just flowers. They’re messengers. In life and in loss, they’re used to express feelings that words often can’t reach. Whether it’s joy, sorrow, celebration or sympathy, they’re designed to spark an emotional response.

Preparing flowers for a funeral always reminds me of the true beauty of life — and how this life is meant to be lived to the fullest, every single day. Like these flowers, our lives bloom and fade. Their short, brilliant existence mirrors the cycle we all share, and it’s a quiet reminder not to take any of it for granted.

And so, being a florist means more than creating arrangements that look good. It means handling the responsibility that comes with them. You hold space for the stories, the grief, the hope, and the love — and you do it quietly, without becoming the centre of the moment.

This work will humble you. It will teach you the art of showing up, of delivering beauty and comfort, while standing steady under the surface. The flowers do the talking. The florist does the carrying.

So just know — if you ever ask me to create florals for your loved one’s farewell, I will shed a tear while making them. It’s part of the honor.

x ~ kahu