Sunflowers

There is a lot to be said for a simple life.

With low expectations, the smallest thing can bring you joy.

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A couple of days ago, it was the blooming of a first sunflower.

This one had not been deliberately planted or carefully nursed.

It grew in front of the porch from a seed dropped by a bird. It was a very small variety of sunflower which was unfortunate because…

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…a day later, it had been savaged. By whom? I rather suspect a groundhog. I caught one the other day with its mouth around one of the black-eyed Susans.

Oh, the look of guilt when it noticed me watching!

No, not really. Groundhogs don’t do guilt.

Humph. Maybe once I would have been upset, but what is the point?

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Chances are, it was this lad who did it and it makes my day every time I see him.

Since he got his new suit, we gave Baldy another name.

Gary is welcome to eat anything he likes. Good job Grant’s sunflowers are 8 feet tall!

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Looking sunflowers up online, I found the following:

The common sunflower is a large annual forb in the daisy family Asteraceae. The domesticated form of common sunflower is harvested for its edible seeds, which come in two types: oil and confectionary seeds. Oilseed sunflowers are widely grown globally and represent the fourth most used vegetable oil in the world. Wikipedia

(Birds are very keen on them too.)

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Key Symbolism and Themes

• Adoration and Loyalty: Sunflowers are deeply associated with unwavering devotion and dedication, stemming from the myth of Clytie, who watched the sun constantly. 
• Happiness and Optimism: Their bright yellow color and sun-like appearance symbolize joy, positivity, and a sunny outlook on life. 
• Longevity and Vitality: Because they are sturdy, hearty plants, they often symbolize long life and health. 
• Faith and Spirituality: Their focus on the sun represents the spiritual soul searching for light, truth, and enlightenment. 
• Abundance and Prosperity: In various cultures, including Native American traditions, they symbolize harvest and provision. 

Common Usage Examples

• Gifts: Sunflowers are given to express admiration, love, or friendship, and to brighten someone’s day. 
• Celebrations: They are used to bring joy and positive energy to events, often symbolizing good luck and new beginnings. 
• Art and Literature: Famously depicted by Vincent van Gogh, they represent life’s vibrancy and beauty. 
• Tattoos: A sunflower tattoo is often used to signify personal growth, resilience, and the ability to look on the bright side, standing tall after storms. 
• Symbol of Peace: Due to their appearance, they are sometimes used as symbols of peace, occasionally associated with nuclear disarmament. 

Synonyms of Symbolism Associated with Sunflowers 

• Positivity: Optimism, joy, happiness, cheerfulness.
• Devotion: Loyalty, faithfulness, admiration, adoration.
• Vitality: Longevity, energy, strength, resilience.
• Spiritual: Enlightenment, truth, adoration, hope.

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Perhaps I’d not realised they were quite that popular.

My mum, I suspect, would not have cared greatly for them. Although I never heard her say so, she certainly never grew them. I think she would have considered them untidy and I doubt she would have made room for a flower that grew to be 8 feet tall.

In Earl’s Court, where I spent my early years, there was barely room for flower boxes.

Consequently, until I came to America, I only ever saw sunflowers in other people’s gardens and didn’t really think about them, one way or another.

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My first awareness of these magnificent flowers was that they were a favourite of someone who made my life very difficult for many years.

Surely I would not allow this to prejudice me against the flower? No, of course not, but every time I caught sight of a sunflower, it reminded me, something I really did not care for.

So much did I not care to be reminded, that I rid myself of every object that had any connection to that man and I even once changed the name of a cat I was asked to foster because it was too similar to his.

Does this verge on an obsession? I daresay. Some people focus on vengeance for bad things done to them. I sought only to purge the memory, but I’ve come to realise that in itself, – the need to avoid, to purge the memory, was giving power to someone now long deceased, who should not have had it in the first place.

It was one of the bits of emotional baggage I packed up and abandoned when I left Washington and returned to New York.

Now I welcome sunflowers in my garden and celebrate their blooms.

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