As always, I am in awe of your ability to see the metaphor (proper term?) in life, and put your thoughts and insights into such beautiful words, weaving in the gospel and wisdom from our Saints. This reflection, in particular, resonated with me on a personal level. We have been experiencing great suffering with our daughter (who has left the church and her faith, as a side note) this past year, but this summer was a time of healing. She loves sunflowers, and the Saint I prayed to for intercession was Mary Magdalene. Prayers for you, always, dear Laura.
This is so beautiful. Your journey is a hard one, Laura. Know that the fruits of your work during this difficult and holy time are reaped by us, too. And we are forever changed. And grateful beyond words.
11 feet tall! My goodness. One of my favorite flowers, and I've never tried to grow them. I'm inspired to now. I didn't know older sunflowers stopped turning. I never thought about how self-sacrificial they were either--how much they allowed themselves to be given for the use of other living things around them: critters, birds, insects, humans.
I appreciate, too, what you wrote about how suffering changes someone, and how we have a decision to reach for the dawn or not.
Thank you, Laura, for this luminous reflection. May you be nourished by abundant sunshine--metaphorical or actual or both--before your day is through. Be encouraged.
— It’s “girassol” in Portuguese. Oh, how much I love them, and in the main, what their existence represents to me – the certainty that there’s strength in searching for the Sunlight, the hope that there’s beauty in believing in the Good Light that comes from God, from us, from nature. Xo.
As always, I am in awe of your ability to see the metaphor (proper term?) in life, and put your thoughts and insights into such beautiful words, weaving in the gospel and wisdom from our Saints. This reflection, in particular, resonated with me on a personal level. We have been experiencing great suffering with our daughter (who has left the church and her faith, as a side note) this past year, but this summer was a time of healing. She loves sunflowers, and the Saint I prayed to for intercession was Mary Magdalene. Prayers for you, always, dear Laura.
This is so beautiful. Your journey is a hard one, Laura. Know that the fruits of your work during this difficult and holy time are reaped by us, too. And we are forever changed. And grateful beyond words.
Every time I think: this newly found spiritual home can not become more poignant for me. And then. It does.
I so appreciate your thinking. This piece gave me a new angle on the Magdalene. She was my master’s thesis topic. Thank you. 🙏
11 feet tall! My goodness. One of my favorite flowers, and I've never tried to grow them. I'm inspired to now. I didn't know older sunflowers stopped turning. I never thought about how self-sacrificial they were either--how much they allowed themselves to be given for the use of other living things around them: critters, birds, insects, humans.
I appreciate, too, what you wrote about how suffering changes someone, and how we have a decision to reach for the dawn or not.
Thank you, Laura, for this luminous reflection. May you be nourished by abundant sunshine--metaphorical or actual or both--before your day is through. Be encouraged.
This may be one of my favorite pieces yet, Laura. Just beautiful.
Beautiful !
— It’s “girassol” in Portuguese. Oh, how much I love them, and in the main, what their existence represents to me – the certainty that there’s strength in searching for the Sunlight, the hope that there’s beauty in believing in the Good Light that comes from God, from us, from nature. Xo.