AS A YOUNG CHILD, I spent many hours in my grandmother's garden. Grandma loved her flowers, and I loved them, too. She had stately deep-hued iris, fragrant sweet peas, willowy snapdragons, colorful dahlias, and, rising above all the others, tall, sturdy sunflowers. There were also many birds among the flowers. I felt at home there.
Grandma told me a story about the sunflowers. She said that if I watched closely, I would notice that they always turned their faces to the sun. This intrigued me. I watched the sunflowers' devotion as they followed the sun's path through the day, and I tucked this memory away for future reference.
This sweet time from my childhood came to thought recently when I was struggling with discouragement. I'd lost my job because of the economic downturn. Through the year, I had worked to deepen my "spiritual root system." As a result, I'd had many moments of fresh spiritual insight. Opportunities to help others through volunteer work unfolded, both in our local Christian Science Reading Room and in the community. These opportunities brought a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. At times, I felt inspired to share with friends what I was learning. I began to pursue a lifetime love of writing. Occasional substitute teaching jobs came along, as well as some opportunities to score written exams. However, I also sent out many applications and went to an occasional interview, with no job offers as a result. That, coupled with the continuing news about the economy, was why I was feeling depressed.
