(This post is brought to you by edict of our equally revered Sunflowers.)

The sunflowers tell me that a little sun worship is in order today. Entirely understandable! I can see how the Summer Solstice would the day of ALL days for giant flora whose primary mission is to exalt their hero, Mr. Sun. A little sun worship will therefore involve a bow to their magnificence as well. (Of course. It goes without saying!)

For mere lowly humans such as we, whose lives may not revolve around the sun (but they do!), the sun is mightily important to us as well. Where would we be without Mr. Sun, so shall we begin with the bowing and scraping?

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Lustrous diamond, blazing star constant and true. Sol, we adore you.

The Summer Solstice is here. Yay! The sun has taken some real bashing in the past few years about giving us skin damage, but as with everything in life, it’s all about balance.

Gratitude is an amplifier for the abundance in our lives. Yes I know, you may be thinking… It’s the sun’s job to be up there in the sky, keeping me alive! So just do your job, Mr. Sun. I have enough to worry about.

But wait a minute! When we take a few moments in our day to say “thank you” here and there, life starts to feel better. We become more consciously aware of the good, and we feel blessed.

So next time you step outside into sunlight, try this. Stop for a moment, close your eyes, tip your face upward, and feel the blissful warmth on your skin. Think to yourself, Ah, yes… Thank you, Mr. Sun. You are one of the things that I can count on in life to make me feel good.

Shimmering golden gleams of light from heaven’s eye, Sun kisses the Earth.

The enchanting moments of nature have captivated all of us at some time or another. The soft sweet scent of a certain flower and a golden apricot sky at sunset are two very common human pleasures.

Sunlight filtering through the clouds has become a classic symbol of ethereal connection, sometimes in a biblical context. I see the rays as an almost tangible expression of the nurturing star that warms our planet, and my heart lifts in witness to this everyday magic.

Enchantment is in the heart of the beholder, and it is not just found in nature. It’s all around us, every day, but we must have some sense of wonder to see and appreciate it. Enchantment is part of our childhood stories. Why do we give up that idea in adulthood? Is life so serious that we cannot acknowledge and enjoy it in our grown-up lives?

Look for those magical uplifting moments that are all yours and hold them close. Delight in them. Let them be your measuring stick, your inspiration, for what you would like life to feel like more of the time.

Star-struck sunflowers, nothing holds a candle to your idol, The Sun.

If you delude yourself that your sunflowers are impatiently awaiting your arrival in the garden, think again. They have only one thing on their minds, which is, “Where is Mr. Sun now?” Any tiny part you play in their world pales in comparison.

The behavior of sunflowers turning to the sun is called heliotropism. They have a built-in 24-hour tracking system that follows the sun everywhere. They’ve even been known to wait in the field at night with their faces turned to the east, steadfastly waiting for their idol to appear once again. Now that’s adulation!

Burnished swirls of gold, proud ochre orbs draped in grace. Vincent, we’re smitten.

Vincent van Gogh. Millions of art lovers worldwide revere his name and works of art. In these modern times, particularly his sunflower paintings are beloved beyond his wildest dreams.

I love sunflowers, they have long been a favorite, and so Van Gogh feels to me like a kindred spirit. I have painted sunflowers from my garden numerous times. He painted twelve sunflower works in all, between 1887 and 1889.

Van Gogh created some of the paintings especially for a visit of the also (later) famous artist Paul Gauguin. Apparently Vincent proclaimed to his brother Theo that sunflowers would become his artistic signature. Little did he know how true that would be!

Are your eyes tired from all that sunshine? Time to put on your best pair of sunnies and head out to celebrate the Solstice. After all, it IS the longest day of the year, something to be savored. Wishing you a wonderful weekend full of all the good things in life, whatever that means for you. 🙂

© Susan L Hart 2025 / Author website: HartInspirations.com / My eBooks

The writing in this post is excerpted from my ebook Our Beautiful Earth Vol 2. It is available in my ebookstore here.