Sunflowers are not my favourite flower, but these were not for me. I sent them to my daughter for her birthday and she loved them. Even though there are lots of other more delicate flowers I prefer, my eyes are irresistibly drawn to sunflowers: their height, their large size, and the vividness of their petals contrasting with the seed-filled centre. They draw attention to themselves with their unique stature and deep orange or yellow colour.

Also, they are useful for their seeds, both for snacking and baking. Fields of them are a gorgeous spectacle. Here is an example from Friuli in northeastern Italy. They are probably being cultivated for their seeds, their oil, and maybe to be sold for bouquets, like the one I sent my daughter.

Van Gogh was clearly inspired by them.

Do you like sunflowers? – Maria

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“Yes she can!” This is what I want my daughters to believe. It’s a mindset. A way of thinking. An energy that pushes you forward. It’s about faith in yourself and inner strength and determination. Believing in yourself when others don’t. Dreaming big. Expecting more from yourself even before figuring out the plan of how you’ll get there.

“Yes she can” is a slogan of hope, drive and determination to break out of the restraints that society, family or history has placed on you. It’s a dream that something wonderful can happen if you work hard and never give up.

“Yes she can” is the future. And women are going to make waves and make the future they want for themselves.

Every year I choose a motto for the year and this might be it for 2025. Do you have a motto for your year, a phrase that captures your expectations for the year? – Cris

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Well. This is one of those thoughts that, if we take Wilde seriously, can be understood and argued in a bunch of different ways. Perspective is everything.

On the one hand, if we live debt-free, it’s because we don’t dream, don’t imagine that we can have and do more than our safe, predictable routines. We live straight-laced, boring lives with no excitement. I would not want to argue this with Wilde, he of the quick, witty mind, but another way to think of it is that living within one’s means, if possible, is responsible and much more likely to sustain family harmony and peaceful sleeps.

“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.” (Mr. Micawber in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield)

What do you think?- Maria

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I saw this fallen tree in my local park. It fell down after we had a torrential rain storm a few days ago. Willow trees are known for being structurally weak. They’re big trees and are beautiful to look at but they fall easier than most trees.

My first thought when I saw this broken tree was that it’s hard to show people your broken self. It’s hard to bare your scars and your fears when even one person is watching. Sometimes it’s hard to even accept those fears and scars when we’re alone because showing weakness leaves you vulnerable and being vulnerable can be very uncomfortable.

To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” ~Criss Jami

Being vulnerable requires trust. The definition of trust (according to the Oxford Dictionary) is: firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Trust takes time and self-confidence and practice. Are we born trusting, is it innate or do we learn to trust due to positive experiences? Let me know what you think in the comments below. – Cris

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“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.”

Nikka – age 6

There is so much that is wonderful and positive and relevant about this child’s words. At the same time, loving better, staying the course, is arguably one of the most difficult things to do. Cris wrote above about vulnerability and the fears that must be overcome as well as daring to risk being hurt. Our self-confidence, our experiences of loving and being loved, play a large part in our ability to reach across the divide.

Also, sometimes we come to hate a friend because they have hurt us in some way. Lots of people with much more life experience and insights than me have written and offered words of wisdom about this.

“Forgiveness is truly the grace by which we enable another person to get up, and get up with dignity, to begin anew. To not forgive leads to bitterness and hatred. Like self-hatred and self-contempt, hatred of others gnaws away at our vitals. Whether hatred is projected out or stuffed in, it is always corrosive to the human spirit. (Desmond Tutu The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and our World)

How do you think we can love better? – Maria

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