Sunflowers Unfurling

Several roadsides have bloomed with sunflowers in the past weeks. Finding them before their performance is a lesson in change and growth.Tightly closed with a sliver of color visible, the first only hints at what it will grow into as its face turns toward  the sun. The shyer ones follow more slowly as unsure of themselves and afraid to unfurl their petals. Slowly, as more chances are taken, color and essence begin to emerge.

Fear or indecision, perhaps a lack of purpose or awareness of expectation keeps some from blossoming fully . The braver ones stand tall as to offer example and hopeful encouragement.

Blossoming is a thoughtful and time needing task.

Lessons From a Vineyard: Growth in Unexpected Places

 

When you say vineyard, France, Napa, and Sonoma come to mind.Very few people would say Tennessee, Kentucky or Florida. Connoisseurs would discuss the soil, its acidity, clay or loam or the terroir that is achieved. Yet,half-hidden, on a small road in Kentucky , a small vineyard thrives in the late afternoon sun. Are the grapes the same? No. Is the soil duplicated? Probably not. But here , stretching themselves in the sun and lazing under wispy clouds are vines that are more than just alive. They are growing. Is it the climate? The care they receive? Specialized knowledge of the vintner? Perhaps. Could it be that they are in a place that suits them , where there is room to grow, and that they are responding to the environment in the best way possible? As they receive nourishment , they in turn produce and return the gift. It seems so simple, but for many of us, accepting that we can grow , even if it is in a place that we didn’t choose, is difficult. It is easier to find fault and wish we were growing in Napa rather than on a back road in Kentucky. Yet the wine produced here , while different in character, may taste as sweet.

The Thrill of the Unknown : Fort Pickens, Florida

A stairway. You can’t see what waits at the top .You know for sure what stands at the bottom.Taking that small first step may not require any major physical effort , but getting to the top and making the discovery  may change you in ways you never thought possible. Sometimes the smallest steps lead us in directions we never expected.That’s where the courage resides.