The Sunflower.....

There once was a Sunflower.

It grew tall and strong and then one day, a strong wind came and snapped off its beautiful big head, just as it had started opening its petals to the sun it followed each day. And the Gardener was sad.

So the big strong stem just stood there. The Gardener went away for a while, and often thought of her Sunflower which was cut off before its prime. What a waste, the Gardener thought. All that care, and all the protective ties to the stake had not been enough. Other sunflowers grew, and each of them had one beautiful head, but none were quite as big or splendid as the Sunflower which snapped.

And then the Gardener noticed something special. On each side of the Sunflower's stem, little shoots appeared, and then one day, a small sunflower appeared. And a few days later, twins arrived too! Not one beautiful sunflower, not two, but three!

And the Gardener smiled. She knew, you see, that life can be like that. Something dies, and then a while later, something beautiful appears from the ashes. And something beautiful is usually not one, not two, but three times more special.

And the Gardener was happy.