Over the past couple weeks I’ve been focused on the biggest blooms of my bunch of backyard sunflowers, but all the while I’ve kept an admiring eye on the runt of the litter, who as nothing more than a sprout got ravaged by some critter that tore off its starter leaves, leaving little more than a stalk.
I thought it for sure a goner, but since then while the other sunflowers around it have grown tall and strong, I’ve watered and watched in awe this spunky little plant that wouldn’t say die and instead found a way to keep on going, albeit in a decidedly minaturized state.
Sure enough, this morning, I gave it a look and found it’s about to beautifully blossom and I couldn’t be prouder to have the lessons of resilience and perseverance taught to me once more by so excellent teacher (click it for the bigger picture):

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Will
Will Campbell arrived in town via the maternity ward at Good Sam Hospital way back in OneNineSixFour and has never stopped calling Los Angeles home. Presently he lives in Silver Lake with his wife Susan, their cat Rocky, dogs Terra and Hazel, and a red-eared slider turtle named Mater. Blogging since 2001, Will's web endeavors extend back to 1995 with laonstage.com, a comprehensive theater site that was well received but ever-short on capital (or a business model). The pinnacle of his online success (which speaks volumes) arrived in 1997, when much to his surprise, a hobby site he'd built called VisuaL.A. was named "best website" in Los Angeles magazine's annual "Best of L.A." issue. He enjoys experiencing (and writing about) pretty much anything creative, explorational and/or adventurous, loves his ebike, is a better tennis player than he is horr golfer, and a lover of all creatures great and small -- emphasis on "all."
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