Musing on Sunflowers. The Circle of Life.
I feel pretty, oh so pretty.
Sunflowers. The best thing on the planet if you exclude Snuffer’s Cheddar Fries dipped in ranch dressing.
I can’t let a summer go by without planting them.
Dig a trench, drop the seeds, cover them up and this is the result.
Like a woman in all her glory. Albeit a modest one. (Or one who dutifully wears a bonnet sheltering her delicate face from the sun.)
Life begins to take from her beauty as well as the bees.
If I ever need inspiration or motivation for a little hard work, I watch the bees toiling away in the center of my sunflowers.
Before you know it the sun, rain (or lack of it this year), bees, children, parents, aunts and ants have taken their toll.
Ripe with life. Beauty retreated inward. A deeper beauty.
At least that’s what we tell ourselves as we slather on creams, have peels and start to stoop on arthritic knees. A loveliness recognized by those understanding life. A life filled with days in the sun, nurturing the bees and thriving the best way we know in spite of obstacles like drought, beetles and deer’s nibbles.
This is the way they all end up. Leaning, bending toward a topple to the ground.
The best part is saving their heads in the shed. (That sounds rather cannibalistic.)
Putting them outside in dead of winter with their life’s fruit makes the birds and squirrels so happy.
A life well lived gives till the end.
After witnessing this miracle summer after summer, you’d think that message would seep into my thick, starting -to-tip-ever-so-downward head.
What to look forward to planting each summer?
Hi, Jamie.
I love sunflowers! I so want to plant some but alas, I have lots of shade on my property.
I’m touched by this line: “A life well lived gives till the end.” It is true, my friend.
Keep on living!
Daphne
Beautiful post!! Great pics! Now, I’m depressed. I have had zero time for my garden this year. Between my sister-in-law’s wedding, and all the rooms I’ve painted, and the editing I’ve had to get done for the writer’ retreat with D, I have let it all go to pot. It’s bad. God-awful bad. The kind of bad that takes over when a house is abandoned, bad. My head in hanging too.. in shame.
Stop it, Ginger. I have you pictured as one of those sunflowers and you are still way too glorious for that. Honestly, with our drought– the sunflowers, corn and tomatoes are about all that I can brag on. Some years are like that I guess.
Sunflowers do need sun Daphne, that’s for sure. But you can have banks of impatiens. I love them so.
I thought it would be a nice blog about the Lion King. Although the sad dead sunflower does look like bad uncle Scar. And the new Sunflower like young Simba. A life well lived….”means no worries for the rest of your days.”
Thanks John. Spoken like someone getting a well-deserved break from the kids.
“It’s my problem free philosophy …”
I love it! 🙂
Sydney- John sometimes spends hours out there amongst the sunflowers.