Nature's Wisdom: The Persistent Sunflower

Nature is rich in wisdom if we will stop long enough to listen and observe. This is one of the many reasons I enjoy gardening. With my hands in the soil, or while harvesting, my mind is open to whatever lesson waits for me. Just the other day I learned about persistence from a sunflower.

 Back in the spring a tiny sunflower seed somehow found its way into one of my raised beds. After a few days I noticed the tiny sprout, but instead of yanking it out I let it stay. Week after week the flower grew until it was well over six feet tall. While watering it I marveled at how this tall, beautiful, plant came from such a tiny seed.  

Then the lesson came. For life to happen, we must persist and not give up or give in. 

Think about what happens when we plant a seed. It is buried in soil, then watered. There it remains in that dark, damp, place until life awakes. But, in order to grow the seed must be broken. Once the seedling is free from its shell, the hard journey to daylight isn’t any easier. It must push against the packed soil. Its roots push down seeking nourishment. The tiny leaf bud must push up to reach the light. My sunflower persisted until it broke through. Then growth happened. Beauty happened. A fruitful life happened.

 If the life within the seed had not persevered it would have died and decomposed. But because it did, it bloomed and produced more seeds for the future.

 There are times when we also find ourselves in a dark place. We feel broken. We have to push just to get through each day. There doesn’t seem to be light anywhere in our lives. But don’t give up. Persevere. From experience, I know how hard this can be but continue to push. Keep moving forward. Don’t give up. Seek help if you need it. There is no shame in that, not one little bit. Do what you can to break free and grow into the beautiful person you are meant to be. And when you do, help others from your experiences. Just as the sunflower produces many seeds, scatter hope and encouragement.

 Also remember this, that little plant took some time to grow. Give yourself time as well. Okay?

Choosing my Battles

I love watching birds. I enjoy feeding them and seeing them flit about. What I don’t enjoy is glaring at squirrels emptying the feeders with lightning speed. Darned day rats! I’ve spent a lot—a lot—of money on squirrel proof feeders. But the birds seem to prefer the only one that isn’t squirrel proof. So every day I check out my window, or sit in my swing, watching for those pesky intruders.

Until one day…

While I sat on my swing, toeing it back and forth, sipping tea, it occurred to me. I cannot change and will never change a squirrel’s behavior. It is only an exercise in frustration and futility. So why not move the feeder they prefer to a place away from the others, fill it with cheaper seed, and let them go at it? That way I could also watch their funny antics as well as my lovely birds. So that’s what I did.

Funny thing. The birds now raid the squirrel’s feeder. Payback.

This battle with these fluffy-tailed rodents reminds me of all the Facebook wars I read every morning. And every morning I ask myself why? Why worry about changing another’s opinion? Why get flustered? Offended? Defensive? Angry? My comment isn’t going to change anyone’s mind. It is better to just move on with my thoughts and let them have theirs. Perhaps I’m more sensitive because of the multiple deaths in my family last year. Life is precious. Life is short. As members of humankind, we have many other things on which we can agree. So why not focus there? Every morning we awake is a gift. Why fill it with offense?

My advice? Move the feeder. Just keep scrolling.