Last Friday, Ginny and I took our kids to Raleigh and the Sunflower Field at Dorothea Dix Park. Although we had planned to arrive as the fiery ball set in the sky, it was still hot and humid. We explored only a portion of the five acres of flowers before the kids wilted. As our trek occurred at the very end of the blooming season, we noticed that some flowers were already brown and dry, while many others had droopy heads. Rather than being disappointed, Ginny smiled and said they looked like they were praying.
In addition to the joyful bees swarming the field, there was the buzz of families of Asian, Indian, and Latin backgrounds. Women wore bright and beautiful saris and hijabs, while kufis and dastars were perched atop the heads of men. Couples posed for selfies, and babies were held next to flowers for more pictures. A half-dozen languages tickled my ears.
Sy Safransky of The Sun lamented, “How readily we ignore the beauty around us, as if this mysterious world weren’t exciting enough.” Instead of celebrating the mystery, certain words that point to it, like diversity and inclusion, are under suspicion, even attack, by powerful people in this country, some of whom claim religious affiliation. Safransky notes that there are many ways that our country is falling short of our sacred ideals and better angels. I can say the same for myself. The heat of oppressive politics can overwhelm me, tempting me to hang my head.
But in a field of dying sunflowers, free and open to all, I thought of Allen Ginsberg’s line, “We’re golden sunflowers inside,” and I kept my eyes up and ears open.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of the book with Wipf and Stock Publishers titled This Is the Day: A Year of Observing Unofficial Holidays about Ampersands, Bobbleheads, Buttons, Cousins, Hairball Awareness, Humbugs, Serendipity, Star Wars, Teenagers, Tenderness, Walking to School, Yo-Yos, and More. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he is a student of joy.
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