The Tiny Sunflower

Our garden looks beautiful. Every spring and summer my husband fills our entire backyard with an abundance of flowers, veggies and fruit. Sunflowers, Sweet Peas, Petunias, Nicotinia, Sweet Alyssum, Fuchsia are are among the favorite flowers we grow each year. Tomatoes, green beans, snap peas, squash, cucumber and strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, Asian pears are among our delicious harvest. It is wonderful.
Our dog Yara, a feisty Labrador - Bouvier mix, is cautious around all the plants and flowers. There was a tiny sunflower that had not been staked properly and that she had knocked down, breaking its small stem. The tiny flower looked limp, barely alive. I picked it up and put it in a vase of fresh cold water. Within hours the flower was lifting its head, and its petals started looking fresh and bright. Now it looks like a happy small sunflower, very cute with its 3 inch diameter head, and its lemon yellow petals and dark honey scented heart. I was glad I noticed the small flower in time to save it and give it another chance, the same way I am glad when I can save bees in time when they fall in the pool. It made me think of how a little help can make all the difference. We all need a little encouragement sometimes, and when we see a friend or family member wilt under some strain and pressure, it often does not take more than a little kindness to give their hearts and minds back their full vigour and potential. It is good to remember that. Francoise Hardy, I just recall, has a beautiful song talking about just that. It is called " Un peu d'eau ", "A little bit of water". I think this idea can encourage us to be both kind to others and their needs, and also kind to ourselves. It is a win-win situation. All the little sunflower needed to get a chance to survive and thrive was some water, and for someone to notice that is what it would take. Maybe all the next person you come across will need is a smile, or a simple, "Hi, how are you?" to give them the bit of energy they will need to get to where they are going next. The small rescued sunflower is a beautiful reminder that we can all make a difference, and perhaps the small differences over time can make a big impact, both in outlook and result.