Every summer, my mother has huge sunflowers growing in her garden. They are proud and cheerful. They reach up to the sun and bask in their own self worth and dignity. There is no hesitation to their boldness to be gloriously present and to be awed by passersby. They have no desire to be anything but beautiful sunflowers and that is simply how they are.

On a rotating basis, the field beside our garden has corn planted in it. Corn is a special food. The land remembers corn as a spiritual food used in ceremonies of gratitude and plenty for the people of the land. I always send a Reiki blessing to the corn to remind it of its spiritual power to be a symbol of plenty and gratitude for those who enjoy its true nature.

Corn loves hot and humid weather. It delights in its capacity to grow four inches in a single humid night. Farmers say you can hear the corn grow on such nights. I have heard it too on my late night walks, if I listen closely enough. Corn also has a humble pride to its capacity to feed so many and to be used so diversely.  However, corn is often sad that it is no longer honoured and respected as it once was during harvest.

And so as the summer unfolds the friendship between sunflowers and corn becomes very important. Although very diverse in function and nature, each finds the friendship rich and invigorating.  You see sunflowers want to grow past whatever is beside them to reach the sun. As the heat and humidity build, people often wilt, become short-tempered and we complain a lot. But not the corn. Not the sunflowers.

I watch them closely. Which is taller today? I watch how they create a joint partnership to fulfil their own destiny and live their potential. Corn is grateful to the sunflower for keeping it company and reminding corn of its purpose to provide food and fuel.  Even though people have long forgotten the sacredness of corn, as known in the first nations and tribes of this land, and we forget to love and sing to the corn, the sunflower sings to the corn. The corn sings back. You can hear the song gently swell across the fields. They each encourage the fullest potential in the other.

In perfect summer weather with enough rain, heat and humidity at the right time grows to be 12-14 feet high. The corn grows – it  smiles at its accomplishment. The sunflowers grow – they too have a destiny. They gift us and help us to harness our energy and become further aware of our True Selves too. Each morning it sees the corn has grown. These sunflowers keep pushing past the corn. Sunflowers, 16 feet high, with trunks like saplings spreading happiness and food for the birds. In the morning sunflowers face east toward the light. By evening the sunflower faces west, still taking in as much light and energy as it can. It is always facing the light.

We too must always face the light and grow in happiness and well-being. Always face the light and heal. And so the corn grows and matures. And in growing tall and proud by the end of the summer, it contributes to the sunflower growing taller than the corn. The sunflowers rejoice. They send out their healing medicine of happiness and well-being to people. And those of us who see the friendship and the partnership of destiny fulfilled and feel the ‘medicine’ are grateful and happy. Because of this friendship that inspires essential expression, we can heal and be given renewed life. And now you know. Open your heart to the corn and the sunflowers and be blessed too in your destiny. It’s Wisdom’s way to peace.

©Shirley Lynn Martin, June 2012