A friend who was going through a rough time said to me once that she could get through her days if she could have fresh flowers in her house. She bought them for herself, but at least she knew they'd be waiting for her.

Fresh flowers. That seems such an extravagance in these economy times. Even $6.50 for a handful of tulips seems careless and irresponsible.

There were never fresh flowers in my house growing up. They were reserved for formal arrangements - ones that usually arrived only at funeral homes.

But I have begun to believe that I, too, can endure these difficult times if there are fresh flowers in the house.

So on weekends I make a stop at my favorite grocery store where I am greeted by this wall of flowers, and I make my modest choices.

There is research out there - probably funded by the fresh flower growers of America - that indicates that fresh flowers can elevate your mood and, therefore, improve your health. That would be hard to argue with.

I am no flower arranger, although my friend Nancy has tried hard to teach me on the occasions when she has helped me create beautiful arrangements for parties at my house. I am content to have a single-flower arrangement in a pretty pottery jar on my kitchen table. A fistful of roses, daisies or tulips.

It makes me smile to seem them there. And it makes me feel like I can face just about anything.

Photo credit: Susan Reimer