Sunrise with the Sunflowers

Sunday July 30, 2023 my day started at 2:30am. I had coffee and got ready for the day. Enjoying a nice, quiet morning before I left to pick up Emily at 4:44am. Right on time, when I had told her I’d be there for pickup. We had a little bit under an hour drive and we had to be on time... The sunrise waits for no one!

We were both so excited, I bought us matching yellow converse sneakers! Emily showed up with a new sunflower bag and I with my new sunflower crop top. We were more than ready to greet the sunflowers!

Coppal House Farm was popping at our 5:33am arrival. Everyone was lining up in this old horse barn to check in. As we stood in line, these little birds kept zipping by our heads. We noticed one stopped on the beam right above us with a mouth full of grub. This little birdy sweetly looked down on us and proceeded to go up into the beam and we hear very softly ‘Cheep, cheep, cheep!’ It was a beautiful sight and start to our time on the farm.

After we left the barn, we walked across the road and down a long winding dirt path. It lead us past a beautiful pond, many trees and flowers. When we reached the end, there was this magnificent sense of calm and serenity where the sunflowers greeted us. The sun wasn’t up yet, but they were all facing in the direction where it would soon rise. The flowers all were open, ready to take in the sunlight when the time was right. They had drops of dew on their petals from a rainstorm the night before. They were ready, they just had to be patient.

As we explored the field and took some pictures, we came across an open door. Literally. A stand alone white door in a frame that opened up to the magnificence that was the sunflower field. There was a lovely couple having a hard time getting a good selfie, so I asked if I could take it for them. They were grateful. In turn, the man also took our picture at the door. I was thankful and happy for that opportunity, I’m really not good at getting a good shot like that through a selfie. It turned out to be one of my favorite pictures that day!

We proceeded up into the sunflowers, where many people were standing and taking pictures. Some photographers, some people just there with their iPhones. Everyone was so happy and had a smile on their face. We looked in the direction of the sun, and Emily went ‘Achoo!’ ‘God bless you!’ I said. A lady standing nearby overheard and also chimed in, ‘God Bless you!’ We smiled and thanked her. She then says, ‘I probably shouldn’t tell you this, because it’s bad. Do you mind if I tell you?’ Emily and I looked at each other and giggled, ‘Yes!’ I said. ‘Please tell us bad things!’ And the lady responded, ‘When someone sneezes around my grandfather, he always responds with ‘God Bless you, you germ spreading son of a bitch!’ We broke out in laughter and thanked her for the chuckle. We kept walking through the sunflowers, everyone smiling and dawning their best sunflower apparel. Sunflower dresses, t-shirts, and hats were all around us. We thought we’d be the only ones to go over the top, and we definitely were not!

We come up to the end of the sunflower field, and there is an adorable little family. A mom, dad, daughter and son. The dad had his phone, trying to get the best shot while holding his son. The mom and daughter dressed in sunflowers, also taking photos. I smiled and said I loved the girls outfit. She had a sunflower dress, tan hat, and brown boots. Blond hair, blue eyed little Angel she was. She was taking pictures with her very own camera phone, and the dad commented how she’s getting better shots than him! She was probably 6 and didn’t even know the ins and outs of life yet, never mind how to take a good picture from a good angle. And yet, I believed she was taking those great photos. The love and happiness radiated through her eyes as she was hyper focused on each sunflower specimen she came across. She knew what she was doing, even if she didn’t know it. The father stopped taking pictures and was showing his son the pictures in his phone. He was also a blond haired, blue eyed cutie. He couldn’t control himself looking at the photos in his dads phone. He was yelling ‘Sunflower! Sunflower! Sunflower!’ As he kept bringing the phone to his face after every word, it was endearing and adorable to see this little boy so happy about the sunflowers!

A few moments later I was taking a photo nearby, and later I recognized that I got that little girl in the background unknowingly. The dad, now holding his little girl, so focused on the next picture. I see this as a fate of destiny. Taking that picture made me think how that little girl has a real passion for photography, and now I have her in my pictures doing just that. Someday she is going to be a professional photographer, and I’ll have the photo to show where it all started for her.

The sun started rising after that moment, and it happened so quickly! We were like zombies with our phones, couldn’t stop trying to get the best shot. We both had to take a moment to breathe and not look at our phones. It was hard because we didn’t want to miss the next best picture! As the sun rose higher, the beams of sunlight kissed our faces and greeted us with warmth. It was welcome, we were a bit chilly because we left our coats in the car.

The beams penetrated through the trees in the distance, causing a cascade of light onto the sunflowers. Each beam seen separately, spreading its light all over the flowers. The sunflowers almost seemed to rejoice with happiness as they felt the beams touch their petals and bring warmth to their dew covered blooms. I don’t know who enjoyed that moment more, me or the sunflowers! We lingered on the edge of the field for a little while, just standing in the sunshine and embracing the new day of abundance upon us. It was only 6:30am and we felt like we had lived a whole day and night just waking up with the sunflowers.

We walked back down the dirt path and towards the barn, they had a cute little gift shop with all different sunflower themed goodies. I picked out some cards with sunflowers and pansies on them for my grandma, I grabbed a shirt for me and a shirt for my mama. And I couldn’t help but grab a bunch of stickers, for people I wanted to share my experience with back at home. They needed to feel the warmth too! We pulled out of the farm around 7:20am and stopped at Dunkin on the way home, still buzzing from the most amazing experience on the farm.

We arrived back at Emily’s at 8:16am, her mom and dad not even awake yet. We just experienced the greatest day before most of our loved ones had even opened their eyes.

The Sunflowers made us feel alive with wonder. But the true magic was the experience and the laughter we shared with others in those moments. The people who came to see what we wanted to see, to share the joy with their loved ones. Everyone in my story made our day special, and it wouldn't of been the same without each and every one of them. What a glorious morning it was!