Mom gives out smiles, flowers to heal election wounds
- Bridget Strub bought flowers to give to strangers with money received as a birthday gift.
- Henrietta stay-at-home mom spreads some cheer and free flowers to those near the Liberty Pole.
Do you want a flower?
Simple words from a stay-at-home mother that brought smiles to those walking near the Liberty Pole on Thursday.
Bridget Strub, 34, of Henrietta, gave away red, yellow and orange roses paid for with money received as a birthday present to strangers, families and even city of Rochester workers from a spot on East Main Street and Andrew Langston Way.
Her two young children, Tessa, 4, and Silas, 2, there to watch as mom looked those passing by in the eye, hand them a flower, if they wanted, and share a friendly exchange.
A sandwich board reading, "You are important, valued, matter (and) loved" clued those in of her plans.
"I just have been seeing all the hate," she said. "I just wanted to spread some love, that's all. Flowers are pretty and they make people smile."
She said the idea popped into her head while driving in the family’s minivan with their children. It was Tessa who said that she should pass out 100 flowers. They were at the Rochester Public Market with friends on Election Day, doing the same.
“I felt like I couldn’t do anything when I saw people these last few months being hurt, crying out with the election and everybody just being unkind to each," Strub said. "I saw the hashtag 'not my president’ and I get it. I don’t like but at the same time we all live in this country together.
"We’ve got to move forward if we are going to solve anything."
This despite what she called an election that left her "heartbroken" after Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in the presidential election.
"I feel lots of things and I didn’t know what else to do other than just hand out flowers and smile," Strub said. "As a stay at home I can't really go out and I’m not going to make big speeches and I’m not a blogger or anything ... I just wanted to bring some light and bring some sunshine to people."
Donald Dedie, a Rochester artist originally from Texas, received one of the flowers.
"The world needs more color like this,” he said. “God is the ultimate artist and I just look at the different colors and tones and yeah, ‘I think the world needs more of that.' There is too much ugliest going on in the world. If we could just try to get along, it would be a lot better."
Strub spent about an hour near the Liberty Pole, unsure if she would try to hand out more flowers again.
"I would like to keep doing this, " she said. "Well, winter is coming."
TCLAUSEN@Gannett.com
