How Groundhog Day is Just like Valentine's Day for the Floral Professional

Happy Groundhog Day 2016!

If you are familiar with this February 2nd "holiday," then you know it's all about a little furry guy coming out of his (or her) burrow, maybe seeing his shadow, maybe not. If he sees his shadow, it's another 6 weeks of brutal winter, if not, spring will come early.

If you are familiar with movies, then you know Groundhog Day is a 1993 cult classic starring Bill Murray as the egocentric soul who spends 10+ years (according to some movie mathematicians) in a Groundhog Day time loop. Every morning he awakens and reawakens to February 2nd, Sonny and Cher singing "I've Got You Babe" on the radio.

Now that it's Valentine's Day go-time, any of you floral professionals feeling that way about our blessed February 14th? In the world of flowers, it seems that Groundhog Day (both the actual day and the movie) are synonymous with the Valentine's Day holiday madness. It does seem like just yesterday that we were planning, prepping, and preparing for Valentine's Day 2015, yet here we are again! (And for those of you who are experiencing your first Valentine's Day in the floral industry....just you wait....)

No thank you!

In the movie Bill Murray's character, Phil Connors, handles the time loop poorly. Very poorly. After his initial reaction of bewilderment, he attempts to handle the senseless repetition with hedonism and manipulation, but finds no reprieve in his indulgences. He then tries to end the repeat-day by killing himself in a variety of creative ways (including taking a toaster into the bathtub), yet every morning he still wakes up to the sounds of "I've Got You Babe" on the clock radio and the calendar pointing to February 2nd.

Phil's final attempt to deal with the time loop is self-actualization. He learns new skills--how to play the piano, sculpt ice, speak French. He learns all about the people around him and what makes them tick. Eventually, he uses this knowledge of the townspeople and the day's events to help as many people as possible...the former misanthrope even falls in love.

So, in light of Groundhog Day, how are you handling the Valentine's Day time loop? Are you losing your head? Are you trying to control the uncontrollable? Are you, like me, drinking too much coffee? Or, like our dear antagonist-turned-protagonist Phil Connors, are you learning from past mistakes, enhancing your own human understanding to rise above the absurd and the mundane?

Coffee helps.

Now, no matter how crazy this holiday season gets, and no matter how tempting it may be to make some sparks in the bathtub or eat ALL the donuts, we urge you to KEEP GOING! YOU CAN DO IT! Soon, the madness will be over.......just in time to start again.

Rita: This day was perfect. You couldn't have planned a day like this.
Phil: Well, you can. It just takes an awful lot of work.