The Sunflower: A Fable For Single Girls

I had a lovely little analogy just pop into my head this morning while I was thinking of someone I care about.  I cannot think of a more righteous desire than for a young woman wishing to be married.  However, more often than not, girls are left wondering what is wrong with them and struggling with low self-esteem as they see all of the "flowers" getting picked before them.  This fable is for any young women who is longing for marriage and finding themselves let down when the time does not come soon enough.

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There once was an elderly widower who planted a beautiful flower garden each spring.  Rather than keeping this garden hidden in the backyard, he planted the lovely flowers along the sidewalk in his front yard.  This way the people who walked past his home could also enjoy the pretty flowers.

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Towards the end of each long, cold winter, the old widower would begin planting the seeds of each flower he hoped to grow that summer.  These seeds were carefully tended, watered, and placed in front of a sunny window each day until it was warm enough to transplant them outside.  

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Soon enough the time came to transfer his precious little shoots and sprouts to the flower garden outside.  Each small plant was carefully transplanted into their own specific place in the garden.  However, this spring was different.  Instead of putting up his usual "Please do not pick the flowers" sign, the widower decided he would share his prized flowers, even if that meant his garden becoming rather sparse and picked over.  So he put up a big sign that said, 

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It did not take long for the tender plants to grow taller and fuller.  Each day a new leaf or two appeared.  Pretty soon there were buds on the tops of each shoot.  As the days continued to grow warmer and the plants continued to grow taller, word began to spread around the widower's neighbourhood.  This year is different.  This year it's okay to pick a flower if you want.

Like every year before, the Zinnias were among the first to bloom, followed shortly after by the little purple Pansies.  The Black-Eyed Susans didn't take much longer to open, exposing their protruding black middles.  The Marigolds exploded into big blossoms of orange and red.  Pretty soon the garden was a vibrant display of colour and aroma.  However, one flower had still not blossomed.  Its shoot continued to grow taller and thicker, its leaves continued to grow bigger and wider, and the bud, that had still not opened, continued to bulge as it reached for the sky.

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The flowers were desperately excited to be picked.  Each one bloomed as wide and glowed as colourfully as it could in hopes of being the next lucky flower to be plucked off its stem.  As the gentle breeze tossed the flowers lightly about and the birds chirped in the tree tops, it almost seemed as if you could hear hundreds of sing-song voices chanting, "Pick me!  Pick me!  Pick me!"  Even the tall, leafy stalk plant that had not yet blossomed chanted along with the others.

Soon enough their little voices were heard.  Children on their way home picked a flower or two for their mothers.  A couple on a leisurely stroll stopped to admire the flowers and then helped themselves to one.  A mother walking past stopped the stroller and let her small child hop out to pick a flower too.  As the flowers began to disappear one by one, the tall stalk continued to grow taller and taller.  Finally, it blossomed.

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Now I will be picked!  The Sunflower could not contain its excitement.  As each passer-by approached, the Sunflower was convinced it was now its time to be picked.  The Sunflower was certainly noticed, it was even admired and looked at by many people who stopped by the flower garden.  However, the small children could not reach it and left with a flower they could pick closer to the ground instead.  The taller people would lean in close to look at the Sunflower, as if to inspect the centre, yet after a few moments they would step away and choose another flower.

Finally, the much anticipated day came for the Sunflower.  A shady looking young man grabbed the stalk of the Sunflower and pulled it down in order for him to better pull the blossom off the top.  My time has finally come!  It's my turn to be picked!  But the Sunflower was much more difficult to pick than expected.  The young man tugged and pulled, yanked and pinched until suddenly the elderly widower shouted, "Stop it!  Not the Sunflower!  Please don't pick it yet, it's not ready," as he trotted across the front yard, the door still open behind him.  The young man bolted before the widower came any closer, as if he knew what he was doing was wrong in the first place.

"My precious Sunflower, what has he done?  My poor, poor flower."  The widower was heart-broken as he inspected the wounded stalk of the Sunflower.  He went quickly to his garden shed, gathering string and sticks in order to brace the stalk where it had been bent and torn.  However, the Sunflower did not want to heal.

Stupid old man!  What have you done?!  That was my one chance to be picked and now I never will! I will never get to be like all of the other flowers.  How could you do this to me?  Despite the old man's efforts, each day the Sunflower continued to wilt in despair.  Yet the widower would not give up.  He would not let this Sunflower he had worked so hard to grow and tend die so easily.  Each day he retied the braces on the stalk and gave the Sunflower extra water and a bit of fertilizer.  And all the while he spoke softly to the flower as if it could hear him.

"One day you'll be big and strong.  One day you'll be ready to be picked.  You cannot give up now or that day will never come.  Keep growing my Sunflower, keep growing!"

Before long, the Sunflower was strong and healthy again and it continued to grow.  It grew taller and taller and the stalk grew strong and thick.  It seemed as if summer would end before the chance to be picked would come for the Sunflower.  It was almost the only flower left in the garden now.  Then one day, it's centre exploded into thousands of tiny flowers.

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"It is almost time my Sunflower.  It is almost time."

The days began to get shorter and the sun seemed less hot during the day.  Soon the children would be going back to school.  And still the Sunflower had not been picked.  So this is it.  I was planted to not even be picked.  That old man has no idea what he is talking about.  I wish I had never even grown.

During a particularly cold night, the Sunflower became overwhelmed with sadness.  It was all alone.  Summer was over.  And it wept bitterly.  As it wept, the tiny flowers covering its centre began to fall one by one.  Even the large petals surrounding the centre fell off.  As the sun finally began to rise in the morning, the Sunflower had completely given up hope.  Now I will never be picked.  My beautiful blossoms and petals are gone!

When the sun was finally up in the sky, a young man could be seen walking down the street towards the widower's house.  The Sunflower was ashamed and wished he would pass by quickly, however, as he came closer it was obvious he was staring at the petal-less flower.  Much to the Sunflower's surprise, his face lit up with excitement and he walked quickly up to the front door and asked the widower if he could pick the Sunflower.

"Of course!  Thank you for asking."  And with that they both walked down to the Sunflower.

"I was wondering when it would be ripe, it must have happened over night.  I'm so glad this Sunflower lasted all summer, someone tried to pick it before it was ready!"

"That would have been a shame!  I'm so glad this Sunflower can be mine.  I've watched it grow all summer and hoped I would be the one to pick it when the time was right.  Thank you so much."

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And so it was, after months of growing, stretching and tending from the widower, the Sunflower was finally picked.  For if the Sunflower had been picked before this time, it would not have had the chance to ripen fully and produce the hundreds of Sunflower seeds which were enjoyed and appreciated by the young man that picked it.  The End.

Do not be dismayed if your time has not yet come.  Realize that God knows and cares about you, He heals you when you are hurt, and He knows when the time will be right for you to be picked.  Make the most of this time in your life when you are growing and blossoming and ripening for the day to be picked.  The time will come, and it will come when you are ready.