How important are the flowers?

President Obama meeting with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq on Monday.CreditAl Drago/The New York Times

In a 20 September 2016 meeting between the Prime Minister of Israel, US President Obama and PM al-Abadi discuss world affairs over beautiful mounds of cymbidium orchids.  Flowers reach into all the corners of society, silent witness to conversations, discussions, decisions, good and bad; I wish they could speak to us, and share their accumulated wisdom...