Morning Glories vs. Sunflowers

Who is ready to talk flowers?!?! Ha, you already know that the titles of my posts aren’t always what they seem. I am pretty excited about this one. As much as I would like to say that I will be on the winning side; I have lots of work to make it there. Trust me, the work is happening, but taking quite a while. So let’s dive right in. Morning glories are absolute gorgeous flowers, and their claim to fame is that they open when there is light and close up in the dark. There are many colors and shapes of these flowers. The are quite eye catching and a lovely addition to any garden. Then you have the sunflower. This flowers lives for the sun! It is said that they will even follow the it as it moves across the sky. How incredible! Each of these flowers have very distinct characteristics, and I am going to use them while talking about grief and healing.

Alrightly, let’s start with the morning glories. When everything is good they are thriving and blooming. I know that I am like that! I’m mean who wouldn’t be. It is easy to be happy and enjoy life when everything is going right. We are social and our happiness makes us glow and gleam to others. The part that I am going to focus on at this moment is what happens when the light is gone. What happens when we are struck with grief? What happens when we face an obstacles that seems insurmountable? If you are a morning glory like me you shut up and shy away. There is nothing that makes you feel a sense of true joy or makes you truly gleam with happiness. Okay, I know that sounds harsh and a little extreme, but it’s true. Sure my son brings happiness and joy to my life, but I am speaking about the feelings within. It is easy to put on a face and pretend, but eventually that is exhausting and you just close up and recoil from any place and everyone that you don’t feel 100% comfortable with. This doesn’t necessary just mean friends and acquaintances. It could be family. We allow the circumstances of our lives dictate our happiness. We look into the dark and find a hard time seeing the light way at the end of the tunnel. The external drives the internal. Grief does crazy things to our mind, body, and soul. In my case, I felt like I was completely broken and missing half of the pieces of me when Adam passed. I closed up to protect myself from everyone. In doing that I hindered my healing. I still have moments were the gravity of my situation drags me down farther that I care to be or admit, but luckily I have a few sunflowers in my life that help remind me of all that I am missing.

Sunflowers are true light lovers. The sunflowers are those who are drawn to the light now matter what is going on. They have the ability and the drive to the look for the light, the positivity in the situation. They always have a way of looking at the “bright side of life”. Our sunflowers truly take life by the horns and make it great. They are constant a breath of fresh air and a beacon of hope and light. For morning glories like me, these people play a very important role in my healing. Its a constant reminder to focus on the things that I have, not what I have lost. I feel like I have mentioned that in a previous post, but it is totally worth mentioning again! Through thick and then, these friends, family members, neighbors, or anyone that spreads their light to others. Okay I guess I can share the biggest sunflower in my life… getting ready for a really shocking revelation… HENRY ALAN! He bring constant joy and light each day! He reminds me daily of all the beauty left and blessings I have! Its truly inspiring!

It doesn’t matter which flower you associate with. If you are a morning glory strive to become a sunflower. Sunflowers keep spreading your light and positivity to those in need. Bring all of us from the dark of sorrow and negativity. We all grapple with grief differently. There is not wrong or right way of doing it. Take comfort in the sunflowers of your life! They will help move you back to the light!

K. Marin