I love bringing roses to a woman when she least expects it.

In the tapestry of love, there are moments that stand apart, where affection is not given in the expected way, but in the most unexpected and unpredictable of gestures. The wise Esai Morales once spoke of such moments when he said, “I love bringing roses to a woman when she least expects it.” This statement, though simple in form, carries with it a profound truth about love and the power of surprise. The rose, a symbol of beauty, desire, and passion, is not just a gift—it is an offering of the soul, given without anticipation of anything in return. When bestowed upon someone unexpectedly, it becomes not just a token of affection, but a gesture that stirs the heart and touches the spirit in ways that the routine and the predictable cannot.

In the ancient days, love was often expressed in grand gestures, but it was also the unexpected, the spontaneous, that truly captured the essence of deep affection. Think of the great lovers of history—Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, whose love was forged in the fires of political intrigue and shared ambition. Though their union was one of strategy and power, there were moments between them where the unexpected took precedence. A glance shared in secrecy, a tender touch in the shadows—these were the gestures that spoke louder than any public display. And in these quiet, unforeseen moments, they found the truest form of connection. Roses, in their symbolism of mystery and desire, become the perfect emblem of this deeper form of love—a love that flourishes not through routine but through the unknown.

In his words, Morales speaks to the power of surprise in love. There is an ancient wisdom that tells us that love, to remain alive and vibrant, must always carry an element of mystery. The Greeks, in their writings, spoke of love as something that could never be fully understood, for it was not bound by logic or predictability. Plato, in his dialogues, expressed the idea that true love was an ascent of the soul, a pursuit of something greater that could not be captured by the mundane. Just as a rose, unexpected and rare, stands apart from the regularity of the day, so too does the love that comes without warning, a love that surprises, stirs, and awakens the heart. To give a rose unexpectedly is to offer not just a gift, but a moment—a fleeting, beautiful experience that lingers in the heart.

There is great power in offering roses—in giving a gift that cannot be anticipated. Boudicca, the fierce queen who led the Iceni tribe against the Romans, was known not just for her strength, but for her ability to surprise her enemies. She did not fight with the tactics they expected, but with an unpredictability that made her a force to be reckoned with. In the same way, love must have its moments of unexpected beauty and unpredictable generosity. To give without warning is to reveal a love that is alive, vibrant, and unbound by the constraints of what is expected. When a woman least expects the rose, it is no longer just a flower—it becomes a symbol of love's capacity to surprise, to awaken, and to refresh the heart.

From this, we derive a great lesson in love: to love is not only to offer what is expected but to give of yourself in ways that stir the soul. To give roses unexpectedly is to show that love is alive, that it exists not just in the predictable rhythms of life but in the spontaneous, the surprising, the unseen. This is where true passion lies—in the moments where we give without expecting, where we surprise without reason, where we allow love to be a gift that is given freely and fully, without regard to the mundane rules that govern the ordinary.

In our own lives, we must ask ourselves: Do we love with the same spirit of unpredictability? Do we surprise those we care for, not with the expected but with the unexpected? The practical action here is to find moments of spontaneity in our relationships. Whether it is a rose, a thoughtful word, or an act of kindness given without warning, these are the gestures that remind those we love that we are thinking of them, even in the quiet moments when we are not supposed to. This is the essence of true connection—a love that is alive, unpredictable, and constantly refreshing the hearts it touches.

So let us learn from Morales' words and find ways to love in ways that surprise, delight, and awaken. Let our love be a rose, given when least expected but most needed, a symbol of the beauty, depth, and mystery of human connection. Through the unexpected gifts of the heart, we remind ourselves and those we love that love is never stagnant, never predictable, but ever-growing, ever-changing, and always full of life.