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| Sunflower Smiles, Strasburg, VA |
Hello to you this first day after Labor Day! To some of us, we are happy summer is diminishing and bringing the natural ebb and tide of nature towards fall. Looking forward to the coolness and comforts of fall, while still enjoying the sunflowers final stance and beauty keeps me centered in the moment. Riding out and about in Northern Viriginia, I re-discovered the Sunflowers abundant joys. It is a clear reminder that the Remains of a Summer Day are still present as represented by this happy flower's smile in Courtyard Gardens, Farmer's Fields, State Fairs and in the Perfect choosen Bouquets purchased at local grocery stores or Florists.
With my continued curiosity; I sought out some quick information on the magnificent sunflower's etiology. It all has to do with the nature of the sunflower, going back in time, dating to 3000 BC. However, some archaeologists suggest that sunflower may have been domesticated before corn. It is native to North America, first commercialized by Russia, then returned to North America to become a cultivated crop. The American Indian domesticated the plant into the
MOST RECOGNIZABLE single headed plant we see today.
As this was the long weekend, I gathered enough information for discovery pertaining to this enduring plant. It is more than what meets the eye, and a truly symbolic item. Not only do categories exist of the physical sunflower plant, but it is also portrayed in numerous arts/fine arts, craft creations, Literature, Movies, Music, Photography, and the like.
Some of my IMMEDIATE Food for Thought that I immersed the senses with that I highly recommend are:
The Sunflower book by Richard Paul Evans,
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wisenthal,
The Calendar Girls movie that depicted the sunflower as the most glorious flower of all,
Under the Tuscan Sun where La Girasol gives a fresh new life start to a woman,
Van Gogh's Sunflowers (original title, in French:
Tournesols)
Sun-Flower and Guitar by
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx6sl2ysTtg&feature=related.
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| Sunflowers, Strasburg VA |
As the sunflowers do all day long, they track the sun, searching out each ray of warmth, until the sun sets. We too as human do the same. We may feel alone, at times, facing adversity, trials and events that makes one feel isolated and at a loss to push thru without the courage necessary.What we must not forget is that we need the warmth of others the most when we feel like isolating ourselves. We need to give warmth and recieve it as well. This helps us remind us that life is good, and we are not alone. We can be as the sunflower is, searching for the warmth - be it the sun's warmth or the warmth of human love and kindness. There is always enough to go around. We can be as Helen Keller says:
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do." ~ Helen Keller
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| Photograph of Photo from Maryland State Fair, 4 September 2011 |
Namaste
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