If you've ever struggled making the right decision, you may appreciate this story:
A young man seemed to take an unusually long time to place his order at the flower shop. When the clerk asked how she could help, he explained that his girlfriend was turning 19 and he couldn't decide whether to give her a dozen roses or 19 roses -- one for each year of her life.
The woman put aside her business judgment and advised, "She may be your 19-year-old girlfriend now, but someday she could be your 50-year-old wife."
The young man bought a dozen roses.
My wife Bev understands that logic. As part of our anniversary tradition, which usually includes an evening out and sometimes a night away from home, I also buy her a single rose.
I made that decision on wedding anniversary number one. But it wasn't easy. My heart argued for giving her one rose the first anniversary, two roses on the second, and so forth. But my head argued that, in twenty or thirty years, a roomful of roses would not mean as much as something simpler -- not to mention the cost! In the end, my heart and head reached a compromise.
So I buy the one special rose every wedding anniversary and then we treat ourselves to a wonderful and romantic evening away. Over the years, Bev has dried every anniversary rose and saved the petals in a decorative jar.
The roses helped teach me something about making decisions. Any kind of decision. I've discovered that good decisions are made with both my head and my heart. Together, cool heads and warm hearts can solve most any problem.
A cool head asks the hard questions. A cool head thinks it through. A cool head objectively weighs the options.
But a warm heart asks the tender questions. A warm heart considers feelings and relationships. A warm heart asks what feels right.
Making the right decision is often difficult. And it seems we never have enough information when we need to decide. But the best decisions are made from both a cool head and a warm heart. It usually takes both of them to get it right.
