making arrangements

I’ve been keeping flowers in the house most weeks.

Sometimes I bring home a bunch from the market. Sometimes I cut stems from the yard or pull something half-wilted from another room and start again.

There’s no rule I’m following. Some mornings I spend ten minutes just turning things in the vase, trimming, walking away. I’ve learned that some flowers need space, that some lean. I’ve learned I like odd numbers and silence when I’m arranging—no podcasts, no playlist, just water and clippers and a little trial and error.

I still feel new at it, but every time I make a small bouquet or a handful of stems for the bathroom shelf, it feels like something’s settling into place. A way of seeing. A rhythm in my hands. An arrangement.

—L