Sunflowers

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows follow behind you.”

A Maori Proverb

Midsummer ushers in the peak growing season for the sunflower! From dawn to dusk, hundreds of golden flower-faces look up tracking the trail of the sun across the sky.

Sunflowers flourish in a community. Bunched together, their sturdy fibrous stalks are like sensible shoes grounding their roots deep into the soil. Growing over six feet tall, they stand honest and upright, withstanding strong winds and rain.

With close inspection, we see the whorl of the outer flower ringing the spiral of the inner flower, giving the impression of a solar system. Saffron-gold petals circle the dense rust centers. Broad green leaves extend from below the flower and head down to the ground.

Gazing over a field of sunflowers, one can imagine a patch of fallen stars. Both practical and spiritual, these domesticated annuals reside on Earth and in the galaxies, sharing the love of light.