The Power of Sunflowers

  Sunflowers... or tournesols as I first came to know them.  While I like the idea that the sun seeds its own flowers, I feel more taken by the French name, tournesol (turns-towards-the-sun).  With the presence of a verb, the word comes to life.  It evokes a deliberate movement in a particular direction.  This intention speaks to me.  The capacity to oscillate in the direction of the sun is a characteristic that is known as heliotropism.  It usually refers to plants. Clearly, however, they are not the only heliotropic species.  Humans can fall in that category as well.

I am thinking of a friend of mine, as I am writing these words.  She is retiring today from a long career in public health.  A community-based nutritionist, she has dedicated her professional life to supporting health, justice and equity.  I could write extensively about how her efforts have systematically advanced food security in our region.  Nourish, for instance, would not exist without her enthusiastic work.  Yet it's her way of being in the world that has always touched me most deeply.

For the past 15 years I have been continuously amazed by her capacity to look for and find the best in all of us.  Doing community work can be demanding and challenging, particularly when focusing on an issue such as food security.  It takes a generous disposition and an unwavering commitment to the human spirit to remain anchored in a positive approach.

Susan Hubay, photo by Lance Anderson

 

"We cannot judge. We do not know what circumstances have led somebody’s life to become what it is. We are a whole community. We have to care for one another and somehow decrease the gap that continues to grow between rich and poor.” Susan Hubay

Through all these years, my friend showed me how expecting the best, no matter how rough things may be, is a powerful ingredient in building sustainable relationships.  It is an essential quality which nourishes the growth of strong movements by creating a fertile ground for meaningful and enduring partnerships.

Our work towards establishing a healthy, caring, equitable and just food system and movement requires that we cultivate this heliotropic vision and approach in all of our work.  Indeed, we need to plant fields and fields of sunflowers - like the ones which use to take my breath away, when I was a kid.

While I can grow sunflowers, I am not as talented in channeling their essence on a daily basis.  I still need lots more coaching.  So I expect I will be gently knocking on my friend's door, asking for support, during those particular moments when my neck and whole body resist the sunflower move.