Sunflowers for Strangers

I planted way too many sunflower seeds this spring. I thought maybe half would come up. Every single one did.

By August my little front yard was a forest of yellow faces taller than me. People started stopping on the sidewalk to take pictures. A man in a delivery truck pulled over just to look. A little girl asked if she could touch one, very politely, like it might be rude.

So I made a sign: "Take one. Share the sunshine." I put out a pair of scissors and a bucket of water.

Over two weeks, I think about a hundred sunflowers left my yard. A nurse took one for her break room. A boy took one for his mom's birthday. An older woman took one, then came back the next day with a loaf of banana bread to say thank you.

I'm planting twice as many next year.