Madam contest Chair, ladies and gentlemen, I had a bad day at office.  My boss shouted at me, my customers picked on me and even my subordinates didn't listen to me.  Not only that, on my way home after work, my car broke on the high way.  But that was not the worst part yet.  When I finally got home at midnight, oh my God, it was our wedding anniversary, our 10-year anniversary.  I forgot all about it.

To my surprise, my wife, Ann, did not yell at me.  She didn't even try to call me.  But I still apologized and promised that I would definitely buy her flowers for our next anniversary.  She said, “Don't worry.  It's ok.”“Are you sure about that?”“Of course I am sure.  Don't be silly.  We have been married for 10 years.  Who cares about some stupid flowers anyway?” 

That night I had to sleep on the couch.  The next day, her sister came over to speak with her for hours complaining about me forgetting our

anniversary.  I overheard some of their conversations.  My wife said, “All I wanted was for Andy to buy me flowers and spend a romantic evening with me?  Is that too much to ask on your 10th anniversary? 

But he has to wait until next year.”  Her sister replied, “I don't blame you one bit.  If my husband forgot my anniversary, I'd break every bone in his body.”  I was confused.  So I asked Ann, “Honey, I thought you said it was ok.” 

Do you know what she said?  She said, “I say a lot of things I don't mean, and I mean a lot of things I don't say.  Everything I say is not necessary everything I mean.  You know what I mean?”  “No.”  “Andy, you know what your problem is?  You don't understand women.”

I didn't understand my wife until a few weeks later I attended a funeral of a good friend of mine, David, who passed away in a car accident in his early fifty.  It was a religious funeral, Christian style.  And I was one of the few guests who were invited to make speeches because David and I had been so closed. 

When it was my turn to speak, I particularly mentioned how David had always been there for his only child, Jimmy.  He saw little Jimmy take his first step, showed him how to ride on a bike and when Jimmy grew up as a big boy, David even taught him how to date a girl.  Watching him, I myself learned to be a father. 

All of a sudden, it occurred to me that, wait a second, I had so many good things to say about David but how come I'd waited this long until he died.  At the end of the funeral, people presented all the beautiful flowers to David.  Again, I thought I could have just given him the flowers much earlier.  I believe my friend would rather enjoy them while he was still alive. 

At this point, I seemed to finally realize what my wife really meant.  I seemed to hear her tiny little voice coming beyond her words and deep down from her heart, saying, “Give me my flowers now, not next year, not even tomorrow.  Now.”  How stupid I was not to hear that voice earlier.

So after the funeral, I couldn't wait to see my wife.  I rushed back home and took her out immediately for an intimate candlelight gourmet dinner with a terrific bottle of wine and dancing.  Then I handed her a bouquet of roses.  Oh boy, you got to see her face. 

Incredible!  She said, “For what?”  I looked her in the eyes and said, “Nothing, simply because I love you.”  “Honey, I am so sorry that I was such an idiot… forgetting our anniversary.  I have been taking you for granted for too long.”  At that moment, Ann looked so pretty just sitting there with flowers in her hands and tears in her eyes.

For the first time in my life, I sensed how much a flower in time could possibly mean to the people you love.  When was the last time you heard that tiny little voice from your spouse, your children or even your parents?  If you use your heart, not your ears, to listen, every now and then you can hear this.  “Give me my flowers now.”