As far as you can see....

For the past couple of summers I have spent a day or so at my freind Carolyn's family 'farm" in the country. What it really is is a beautiful old farmhouse and a series of houses and out buildings on what used to be their families plantation.
I'm glad that I got to know Carolyn before I found out how rich she is. She is a down to earth person, yet she leads a VERY different life from most of us.

Anyway..... each year the groundskeepers plant an acre of sunflowers (sadly for the game birds to eat so that they can be fat and happy when shot and eaten ). It is such a beautiful sight. Sunflowers as far as you can see with really large heavy flowers all faced toward the sun. Just before leaving I cut an armload of them and put them in every room of the apartment including the balcony - where this picture was taken.
As you know, I have had my share of struggles with faith. I have had to address this in sobriety as a faith and reliance in a higher power (God) is the most important componant in my continuing sobriety. This was so hard for me 11 years ago when I first started came into AA.
The awesome beauty of nature has really helped me with that. It brings to mind the kind and caring God that I hear about in so many faiths.
I can still picture Uncle Herman preaching his special brand of HellFire and Damnation. YIKES! I remember when I was little living in Hawaii praying with Mom every night ' Now I lay me....' That prayer scared me so much. Does it scare other little kids? 'If I die before I wake...' I became afraid to go to sleep. 'I pray the Lord my soul to take...' I was afraid that something was going to enter my room, steal my soul (whatever that was) kind of like those awful monkeys on the Wizzard of Oz, and I would never wake up again.
I don't think I ever told you how fearful I was as a child. In many ways I am still fearful as an adult.
In AA we say that fear is the opposite of faith. I guess I've still got work to do, huh?
More later....