Friday Flowers (10)

This week's Friday Flowers comes upon the eve of a super exciting day for me, my birthday!  Yes, tomorrow, I'll be celebrating my birthday first at brunch in the morning and then later at a very fun and very NY rooftop bar.  I couldn't be more happy and have been anticipating this all week.  However, I've (not so unusually) found myself somewhat emotional over the whole thing.  Not in a everybody feel sorry for me, I'm getting so old kind of emotional (although I realize this birthday marks my entrance into my late 20s.)  This is more of a happy to be alive, to breathe the fresh air, to have the people in my life that I do kind of emotional.  I guess a better word would be thankful, I'm so thankful for the years I've had and so excited and thrilled to keep going. 

Anyway, the flower I've chosen for this Friday is the Magnolia.  There is nothing sweeter, nothing more delicate, and not much that's more "Southern" than this flower.  While searching through photos to share, my mind wandered to a movie that shares the same title and at the same time also shares some of the emotions I've been having this week.  For those of you who've seen it, I'm guessing you've seen it more than once like me and every time it comes on TBS, you stop and watch a little, it's just that kind of movie isn't it?  The women in the film have always represented to me the fantastic and everlasting bond that women have the ability to share.  Men, I know I've lost you here, move on to the pics if you wish.  The relationship between Shelby and M'Lynn is so poignant and real to me at this point in my life; a mother who wants the best for her daughter but sometimes has trouble letting go and allowing that to happen for her, and a daughter who wants to experience life no matter how difficult or scary but still desperately needs her mother's support.  In the past few years, my mother and I have struggled with similar issues.  I know we still have many years of this back and forth ahead of us, but today, there's nothing I want more than to thank her.  Thank her for all that she's done for me to make it to this point, thank her for accepting me and loving me when I know I'm the biggest brat in the world, and most of all thank her for giving me life!  I'm 26 mom, I've never been arrested (knock on wood), I have a job, wonderful friends, a boy who loves me, and I am very very happy, good job mom.  Now look at some magnolias okay?

Pink is her signature color.

Images: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine.