What do you think about when you are choosing gifts for people? Is your goal to give them something practical and functional or is frivolity the essence of gift-giving? Personally, I have a checklist that needs to be ticked whenever I’m choosing a present. Whatever I end up choosing, it needs to bring joy to the person’s life and a smile to their face.
I have had my fair share of buying someone something just for the sake of being silly, like that time I bought a 100-cm-long wooden ruler for my high school friend because I thought it symbolized a long and prosperous life. “May you live as long as the numbers on this ruler,” was the gist of my message to him. Silly, I know.
But though my friend did appreciate my ruler present at that moment, it was something he will never ever use again in his life. That, added to the fact that we all have more than enough trivial stuff piling in the secret closet of our house, shifted my behavior towards choosing presents for other people. My checklist is still pretty much the same, but now I tend to want my gift to be either consumable or biodegradable.
If your line of thinking is in line with my line of thinking, you would have already guessed what kind of gifts I send out the most. Yes, flowers. It is a wonderful gift that will make anyone smile, and that includes men.
What’s wrong with giving a man flowers? Nothing at all. Men also want to feel happy and special and wanted. It is even better if the flowers come from your kids to be given on Father’s Day. Your man will definitely shed that manly tears he wouldn’t admit he has.
A Shift in Men’s Mindset and Behavior
Back in the ‘80s, the only way the word “flowers” could be in the same sentence as men is if it is connected to a marriage or a funeral. Men receiving flowers was considered to be an odd occurrence. However, the same rules don’t apply in today’s society anymore. In general, they now have more freedom to express themselves without being limited by our gender.
Australia’s leading florist, Roses Only, notes that at the present, it is becoming more and more common for men to be given flowers for any occasion, including Father’s Day. It is a big shift compared to the old days where flowers were bought almost exclusively by men, regardless of their age, for women. This shift may be developed from a shift in today’s men’s mindset and behavior in the first place.
It could be the result of the ever-increasing existence of metro sexual men, but the fact is many men—and dads, for that matter—pay more attention to his grooming and appearance today than two decades ago. This fact is supported by the massive increase in sales of products that used to be synonymous with womanhood, such as fashion and skin care. Nowadays, men don’t use soap bars to wash their face anymore. They use a facial wash, just like us women do.
Believe it or not, many men also buy flowers from Online flower shops for themselves. Interior decoration can benefit tremendously from the use of flowers and plants, including when a man is designing his man cave. Some men even admit to being happier and more inspired when they have fresh flowers in the house.
Flowers are Flowers
Some flowers rely on the wind and insects to spread their pollens and some are able to self-pollinate to reproduce. Having said that, flowers don’t really have genders and yet, our society still categorizes them by genders. Some flowers are more suitable for women, and some are more appropriate for men. Flowers are great for last-minute gift ideas, like roses same day delivery.
If you do an online search, you’ll find that most flowers society deem appropriate for men are all very butch-looking or have a grisly nature to them. They are plants like cactus (thorns—Ouch!), Venus Flytrap (a carnivorous plant), and Rafflesia (a.k.a. a plant that emits a rotten stench, super big, and doesn’t like to be tied down just like a man).
Excuse me, I’m trying to make my man happy without him feeling nauseous. Fellas out there, how would you feel if you were sent a bouquet of poisonous flowers or a man-eating plant? Would you feel manly at all? Or at the very least, will those flowers make you feel appreciated and wanted? I would think not.
At the core of it all, men are the same as women. They are human beings with emotions and are responsive to beauty and nature. The gender bias has really taken away a man’s chance to experience the pleasure of nature’s beauty and wonder. As our society welcomes gender balance and equality, the door to these experiences is opened. Now, men can appreciate flowers without having to be fearful of people calling them “feminine.” The history of flowers being associated with femininity or juvenescence is really just that—a history.
On Father’s Day and other anniversaries or special occasions, consider giving the wonderful surprise of flowers to the man in your life. For once, let him freely appreciate the beauty of nature and the opportunity to feel special and wanted by you and your children. It’s probably a rare event for him, so he may be fascinated beyond belief! Besides, how many socks can a man own? And does he really need another nail gun? Believe me, the answer is no.
Just like women who were suppressed by the limitations of the expected feminine behavior, men are also repressed by society’s view of masculinity. If gender equality is a real thing, it should work for both sides. Today sure sounds like a great day for men’s independence, doesn’t it? Don’t let the flawed expectation towards men stop you. Give Dad a bouquet of roses or peonies instead of a money tree. Bask in the wide smile on his face, the slight blush on his cheeks, and the happiness in his heart.
