a bit of sunshine and sunflowers

For my mum and sister and for my friend Bonnie, who all love sunflowers.

Earlier this week, Jessica, one of the other Teacher Dons, came up to me in the cafeteria.  She had taken the bus to Jeju-si the day before and on the way they had passed a field of sunflowers.  From the bus, she could see people stopping to go and take pictures among the beautiful blossoms.  It was only a couple of stops from the school and as I'm often exploring nearby places, she thought I might like to go.

The field from one edge.

Yesterday I had a couple extra hours and so after class, I headed out on a bicycle.  It was farther than I had anticipated, and pretty much all up hill, but it was worth it to see the field of sunflowers.  Many of the blossoms were huge (and thus heavy)!  It was as though someone had cut up basketballs and glued the pieces to the center of bright yellow petals.

Me and a giant sunflower.

I love how sunflowers follow the sun.  To me, it seems like such an intelligent thing for a plant to do. In a way, the plant takes initiative to follow what it needs and what it loves: the sun.  The sunflower can never get enough of the sun.  All day it follows the sun, and if the sun shone at night, it would follow it then as well.

These sunflowers weren't that tall--maybe three feet high. And yet they stood together to create a bright beacon in the landscape.  People were stopping to take a moment amid the flowery field--to simply be there, nothing else.

As I walked through the middle, I spotted these two small sunflowers and couldn't resist a picture.

I want to be like a sunflower.  

I want to chase after the son of God with a need and a hunger that is uncontrollable and unstoppable. With desire to learn more and to be better than I was yesterday, I want to stand tall and bring a bit of brightness to those around me--to inspire and encourage those I meet.  I might not be a field, but if I can get one other person to bloom beside me...

Love and Hugs.