Growth and Elements.

"Let me wave to you,"  she said.

Sunflowers inspire me. Whenever I see a garden clump of them, their heads tilted like posed models, I am struck by how otherworldly they seem.  How can they possibly be from this planet?  From a tiny seed shoved into the dirt comes this majestic open faced beauty standing over 10 feet tall.  In one season. How can that be?  Though they seem still and sturdy, I always figure that if I watch them long enough, I will see them grow.

Sunflowers grow upward on the strength of their stalks until their fancy dress petals unfurl cusping the elegant eye which glows with the contrast of vibrant yellow and earthy shades of brown.  Beautiful. Elegant.

But never perfect..... If you look at them up close, you can see the visible imperfections which always accompany stretching and growth.... Like humans, nature's blooms must struggle at times against the elements thrown at them.  Elements take their toll, while challenging the very idea of perfection. They leave tatooed scrapes, unusual shapes.... beauty marks that tell their unique story. 

Sunflowers........ may we always look to them to learn a few life lessons, to recognize we too have the potential to thrive, not despite the elements we face, but because of them.  As my Emerald friend Pip says,  "Growth does not reside in a place called comfortable...." 

The garden of life, thankfully is not a comfortable place to be living in  most days.  May we have the strength to dwell there until we learn we too are all beautiful in our imperfections and that we thrive because of the elements, not despite them.   My we accept our flaws as what they really are.... beauty marks that tell our unique life stories.