My bad attitude was no match for Zeke’s sunflowers.
I have a wonderful life. Not perfect – but I have no reason to ever be in a foul mood.
But today at 2 p.m. I was.
It had been building all day. No all week.
Through the morning rush to football games, keeping aging parents happy on their visit. Spending time with college son home for weekend — and making all his favorite foods. Running around for birthday surprises for husband tomorrow.
Then to Madison’s Chili Cook-off with children.
Only to find all the tasting tickets . . . gone. Sold out.
The result: disappointed children and a mama that couldn’t hid her displeasure.
Why wouldn’t they have enough tickets for everyone? Good grief.
But in small towns wisdom does not make a public fuss and only complains in the sanctuary of her car.
“Did I sound a little short with that lady?” I asked my daughter.
“Yes,” she replied. “But I’m glad.”
Now to be completely honest, we did look around the festival and settled on a substitute lunch of boiled peanuts and a coke.
But later in the afternoon, at the bakery counter at Walmart, I still wore a furrowed brow on the inside.
No. My whole insides were scrunched up in a deep furrowy trench.
Wanda behind the bakery counter asked, “Did you get to the Chili Cookoff today?’
“Funny you should ask that Wanda.”
The next few minutes, we spent trading stories of being turned away without the ability to purchase a chili-tasting wristband.
Pout. Pout and More Pout.
Then she offered, “You know what is free and the best show around — Zeke’s sunflowers up there on the corner. I see them every morning coming to work. Today four cars were pulled over. Folks stopping for pictures.”
Zeke’s sunflowers.
A little voice whispered take that way home.
Zeke Lambert is part farmer, part banker and known to all the men — and women — in Madison. For some reason late summer, he sowed sunflower seeds in many of his fields around town.
So on the way home, I pulled into the dirt road of the highway and got out.
Had to share all the splendor on Instagram.
Yes, while I was out frolicking with and inhaling the fresh, wide-open, forever-flowered space, my daughter got my other camera.
Getting back in the car to my tween paparazzi.
Do you see it?
Sure I look worn, ragged, tired — all that I was before.
But I look happy.
I was happy. So happy. A healthy-perspective-of-life happy.
A moment in a sunflower field healed a sour-puss mood that a full morning of positive self talk couldn’t budge.
Before we left another car drove up.
Once I built a bridge and got over my pouty self, I realized the great truth.
Small towns are blessed places.
Second only in the blessings to a field of sunflowers.
What do yo think? What snaps you out of a bad mood?
