What a way to brighten up a gloomy day or bring delight to anyone feeling down stressed, or isolated!
Every morning, I looked out through the kitchen room and laundry room windows, admiring my green fingers to plant sunflower seedlings in October. When I go to work, shopping even come home from work and shopping, the sunflowers are always there to greet anyone.
I noticed bees, butterflies and birds peeking over the sunflower seeds for their foods, nectars and pollens daily.
Hives of buzzing noises – bees
As time is nearing the first anniversary of the severe accident that happened on the 1st of February 2022, it is perfect timing for the family of their two special family members who passed away. A few of us, including myself – local neighbours and the emergency services, will remember them, for we assisted and supported them during their harsh times and incredible experiences.
“Bless those who mourn, eternal God, with the comfort of your love that they may face each new day with hope and the certainty that nothing can destroy the good that has been given. May their memories become joyful, their days enriched with friendship, and their lives encircled by your love.”
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.”
– Helen Keller
I have worked as a teacher aide, health worker and community support worker in the disabled sectors over many years. My childhood memory saw many sunflowers everywhere. I travelled through many rural areas where the sunflowers were in the maize fields. Then I travelled to many countries, especially in Europe, Canada and the United States and saw many sunflowers through the autumn seasons. I did not realise the importance of sunflowers, the benefit of sunflower seeds for health, and parishioners use sunflowers for their religion. Of course, children/people with learning disabilities and older adults love bright colours and bought delight in seeing the sunflower for their childhood memory or to love it.
My close friend Sonya of Switzerland, the late Rev. Edna Garner of New Zealand and two professors of the University of Waikato explained the sunflowers through my studying at the University of Waikato, during my stay with Edna and my stay in Switzerland several times between 1983 and 2006.
Not just a sunflower in the garden, many birds and bees love eating sunflower seeds once the seeds ripen and pollen/nectar for bees from the top daily. The sources are nutritious foods for birds and bees throughout winter.
Sunflower shrubs can be see behind the large silk tree
People like me eat a quarter cup full of sunflower seeds from time to time as snacks. It is the same with pumpkin seeds because they benefit health, such as nutrients.
Did you notice or know that Ukrainian people display sunflowers or post them on social media? What does sunflower relate to Ukrainian and its history?
Sunyashniki goes by sunflower, which is Ukraina a national flower in the country for many years. They have been growing and using sunflowers for snacks, oils, other products, and religious symbols, such as women dropping seeds in the pockets of the soldiers’ jackets who went to war until they died. Still, the seeds have grown in the fields since mid 18th century. A recent video showed a Ukrainian woman in Henychesk giving sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers, with the special instruction to put the seeds in their pockets so the flowers will grow where they die. https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1496866811110834176
In June 1996, the Ukrainians gave up nuclear weapons as the symbol of peace when Russians, US and Ukrainian defence ministers planted sunflowers in a ceremony at southern Ukraine’s Pervomaysk missile base.
I recently read a post from Joanne about the logo/lanyard and the Hidden Disabilities in New Zealand/Australia. I am glad this organisation opened up in Australia and New Zealand last year. Yes, there is a catch to joining and becoming a member or partner. Here is the link to the history of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard in 2016 at Gatwick Airport. https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/insights/post/the-sunflower-is-for-people-with-non-visible-disabilities
The ever-bright nature sunflowers serve as sources of inspiration. Sunflowers remind us of what it means to look at the positive side of things. Even in dark or challenging situations, exploring what lessons are lurking in the corner is possible.
The photo I posted at the top of this blog, on February 1st 2022, was a severe fateful afternoon that killed a mother and a two-month-old baby daughter in the car and left a partner alive with injuries upper half of his body and badly shaking and shocked. Three vehicles were involved in a severe accident – a multiple car pile-up, near our property. My local neighbours, including my ‘new found’ cousin/neighbour and I, assisted and supported the injured people and maintained road safety until the emergency services came. We will never forget that day because of the scar of the vehicles’ accidents left on the road marking the brunt and bearing signs of melting asphalt road – small dried flowers left on the road signs – one of the third Curve bend/slow down signages before our private road. The day after the accident, three of our neighbours and I placed flowers and gave blessing on the site. I managed to contact the local Māori hapu so they will do a proper blessing and next month.
The last time I received a short note from the family member of the late mother, it said the partner was not the same person anymore, and he suffered severely, anger, grieving, having trouble sleeping and taking medicines for his pain. The person who caused the accident was charged guilty of reckless driving due to falling asleep while driving – two charges of careless driving causing death and two of careless driving causing injury, disqualified driving, losing his job and home detention. He had to pay the damage to the victims over $20,000 but had no money left to pay another injured person from the second vehicle but to use the insurance to pay.
The day after the accident, I took time to leave work. I was grateful to chat with our colleague, a Church Minister at our workplace. A couple of days later, I posted a couple of short videos of the healing path if anyone witnessed an accident and to explain if you are a Christian samaritan and you would be willing to assist in helping or walking away. I am a deaf Christian through my strong tie family over many years, and I can not leave or to ignored this accident. Luckily, I have the skills over many years, so I went to assist them.
I posted the bible verse last year – “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” . Isaiah 58:9b-10, NIV”
Unfortunately, a couple of Christian Deaf people posted a comment to my page saying to go to a counsellor for the misunderstanding of my sign language and stop being a drama queen, which I have no idea why the female Deaf Christian person wrote down. It appeared she misunderstood, and I think she had not understood the life of being involved in an accident
“2 Corinthians 9:6-8 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
One young girl from my neighbour asked me if I could plant sunflowers in our large fields before I plan to plant sunflower seeds one day. Her wish came true, and the sunflowers displayed in the fields facing the State Highway Road between Hamilton City and Morrinsville, Waikato, New Zealand.
The Bible says:” The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, justice and truth” (Ephesians 5: 9 ). Just as sunflower flowers produce oil, the believer who sets his sights on God shows his characters of goodness, righteousness and truth.
Note: I am doing well when travelling on this road to Hamilton City and coming home each day since the fateful accident. I am doing the blogs and chatting with someone I trust and know the person well. I know that God is always with me and my partner with three dogs is always there for me. I found a solution where I can meditate quietly in the garden or read an excellent book.
Life in Eureka 
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