Resilience in Bloom: Plant Seeds of Peace
We, the People, must be like sunflowers. In this time of savage aggression and brutality, we cannot look away. Each of us is a sovereign seed and the rich soil, sunlight and moisture is our community. We germinate and grow together, what sustains the individual supports the whole.
A war is raging in Ukraine where the Russians are committing unspeakable acts of violence against humanity. We, the People, are humanity and must help the Ukrainians. It is a global crisis and turning point in human evolution. Without raising arms in the fight, we can raise awareness against the atrocities of the war and work together to tap our creative resources to plant the seeds of peace.
The sunflower is a symbol of peace, resilience, and hope. A prolific annual with spectacular golden flowers, it can grow over 12 feet and is a source of food for wildlife and the worldwide population. Its seeds are abundant and generate new plants. Colorful petals attract pollinators that fertilize the cycles of growth. The mighty stem supports its mass and carries food to the rest of the plant. Leaves make energy using sunlight. In balance, the roots anchor it in the ground and absorb vital nutrients in the soil. Sunflowers are a symbol of resilience because they have an organic determination to grow, create beauty, flourish, provide sustenance, and grow again. Perhaps what is most poignant about the plant is how it moves in response to the sun’s daily traverse across the sky. Sunflowers growing in a field will heliotrope in unison, all the happy and hopeful blossoms turning together toward the light. It is one of the most cheerful scenes in nature.
Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine and have become a symbol of the country’s solidarity and resistance. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest producers of sunflower oil and products and grows food and grains that feed nearly 400 million people globally. It is essential to the world’s breadbasket. The devastation caused by the war will impact food supply chains because spring is when the farmers need to be tilling, planting and fertilizing fields, and preparing to harvest crops. Instead, the Ukrainians are fighting on the frontlines and digging trenches in their fields to bury the dead.
What can We, the People, do? How do We co-create a better world and way forward that cultivates peace, prosperity and justice for all? Creativity is a ready remedy and response everyone can do. It is our most renewable and valuable natural resource. Like the sunflowers leaning into light, as a community, we cannot look away and must take action and make sacrifices to create positive changes. Start by planting seeds. Grow food, beauty and ideas. Cultivate a lifestyle that is sustainable and understand the cycles of how natural resources are used in the products you buy and consume. Nurture relationships and work in your community to solve problems and maintain a safe and healthy environment. Learn and care more. Raise awareness and funds to support the causes that help the Ukrainians who are fleeing the country and seeing their homes, livelihoods, and culture being decimated as family and friends are murdered. Pray and bear compassionate witness to the resilience of Ukraine and take action. We, all the World’s People, have the power to create peace and positive change.
Written by Laura Jaquays for the ART HOPE Journal.
“Resilience in Bloom” original watercolor by the author.