Sunflowers

I was at a work event on Tuesday that was part of the Farmer’s Market. As I was leaving, I noticed a booth selling sunflowers so I bought a bunch for Sherry. Needless to say, there were big kisses, and big husband points, when I got home.

Actually, maybe I do need to say. You see, Sherry loves sunflowers! She always tries to have at least one vase filled with them in the house at all times. One of her favorite moments in every Tour de France is when the peloton is cycling through the sunflowers fields of Provence.  A few years ago we were lucky enough to be in Provence at end of the season and she got to stroll around among them with a big smile.

What is it about sunflowers that make people smile? Is it because they look like they’re smiling at you? Or is it the beautiful hues of yellow and gold?  Maybe they remind us of sunshine and that’s what makes us smile. Of course, they have the word sun in their name and I am sure that also helps.

I think it’s the name.  It just sounds happy.  However, that may only be true in English.  While you would think the French name would be la fleur du soleil it’s actually tournesol, which isn’t as nice in my book.   The same is true in Spanish where the name is girasol and not la flor del sol.

In the end, I guess the “why” they make us smile doesn't really matter and we should just accept the fact as one of life’s little pleasures.

Au revoir!

Two weeks of positive vibes

In the back of my mind, I knew it had been a while since I updated this blog.  Don’t get me wrong, there are have been many, many things that were blog-worthy, I just haven’t had the time to write about them.  Then I noticed that “a while” turned into two months so it’s time to get caught up.

The most significant event in the past few weeks was returning for my second year at WCMS (you can read about my first year and the program here).  I met my classmates last year and we formed instant friendships.  While we developed our professional skills, we were also building bonds that, for many of us, will last a lifetime.

Since last year we have all stayed in touch by telephone, email, texts and Facebook, but for two weeks in July we get to hang out face-to-face.  You know what means, right?  Lots of laughs, late nights, story telling, reminiscing, and just the “occasional” drink to keep things going.  All of this is set against the backdrop of college life complete with living in dorms, eating cafeteria food, and studying for exams. 

Second to only Sherry (my lovely wife), these people are collectively one of the most positive influences in my life today.  They will never truly know how much they mean to me and how they’ve helped me during those tough times we all experience.  When I’m feeling a little down, I only need to reminisce about our times together and I immediately have a smile on my face. 

I can only hope that everyone gets to experience something so positive at some point in their lives.

Au revoir!