When I think about flowers that symbolize joy, sunflowers are at the top of the list. Sunflowers are easy growers. They grow almost anywhere, tolerate poor conditions well and stand up to the heat of the Arizona sun.
If you plant a sunflower seed and watch it grow, you will see growth almost immediately. The small, little seed sends out its first tendrils within a few days. Then it stretches for the sun while the roots are seeking water.
The stalk continues to grow, unfurling new leaves on the way up. Strong, green stalks reach up to the sky. Flower heads form in tight green clumps. Growth continues. The roots, stalk, leaves and flowerhead develop all together. Yet, each part takes as much time as it needs to grow into the perfect size. Then, when the time is right, the sunflower slowly opens and yellow petals of sunshine are carefully unfolded, one by one.
Soon, the entire flower head is surrounded by a ring of bright, beautiful yellow. Insects and birds cannot resist. They are drawn to magnificent little suns blooming all over the garden and soon they are the star of the show.
Sunflowers just bring so much joy. And when I think about joy, my grandchildren come to mind.
We are blessed with 3 beautiful grandchildren. Our first grandson was born in 2015. We were amazed, excited and a little scared. What would it be like to be a grandparent? We soon discovered it was a lot of fun.
Fast forward a few years, and we were blessed with two additional grandchildren. This time, both girls, born a few months apart. We were thrilled, delighted and excited!
A year later, I kept a garden bed open specifically so that our grandchildren could plant sunflowers. Together, we made a few holes and planted seeds together. Each grandchild got a handful of seeds and carefully placed them in the soil.
Over the next few months, I took photos of the seedlings as they grew and reached for the sun. Taking care of the sunflowers helped me focus on the positive side of things as my son and his family, along with his two children, headed to South Korea for an extended length of time.
Keeping care of the sunflowers we planted together brought me a lot of joy. As the sunflowers bloomed, I was reminded of a favorite quote:
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. That is what sunflowers do" - Helen Keller