Article written by Chastity Logan (left)
Carolina Caring has been working on a special project for staff to make them smile. Ben Dungan, Carolina Caring Foundation’s Director of Grants and Database Administration, is an amazing horticulturist, among his many talents. With his help, along with Grief Counselor, Andrea Haas, and VP of Community Relations, Kelly Tate, we recently planted sunflower seeds at our Robinson Road campus and are now seeing these beautiful flowers bloom before our eyes.
Imagine a world where everyone has something to look forward to, whether it be an awesome new car or the ability to touch your toes with pride. For our staff here at Carolina Caring, we want them to not only be physically healthy, but also to be fulfilled — which is why Ben came up with the idea for sunflowers! The project started off small — just six growing spots on our campus — but if successful, it could “grow” to other areas as well.
Growing things is always a neat process. You can watch something change and develop over time. You start out with a small seed and put it in a safe environment of soil to start the nourishment process. Then, you give the seed some water to encourage growth. The sun with its rays also provides sustenance. Then, we wait. Slowly, but ever so surely, a small stalk and leaf begins to emerge. It’s strange to know that a tiny seed can grow into something that we are all in amazement of, and that it matches what we see on the seed packet!
Carolina Caring’s Director of Community Relations, Rev. Sandi Hood, recently shared a sermon about sunflowers. I didn’t realize that when a sunflower is young, it turns itself to the east, ready to catch the sun’s first rays in the morning. But it does not just stay there. It continues to turn throughout the day, following the light of the sun. When darkness falls, it again turns itself to the east, ready and waiting for the sun to appear the next day. When the sunflower is mature, it keeps affixed on the east, always waiting for the rising sun. Sunflowers set their trajectory on the light, like we should do as well.
Andrea also shared some advice on how our team can be like a sunflower: Be bright, sunny, and positive. Spread seeds of happiness. Rise, shine, and hold your head high. Let this be our mantra!
I admire the work our team does each day for our patients and families. When we do our work, we are really sowing the seeds of love. Just like these sunflowers, we give them nourishment, but we also talk to them and pray over them, encouraging them to be strong and proud.
We all need encouragement from time to time. May the sunflowers on our campus represent encouragement to you. You can do it! You will have strength to make it today!