A Flood and Waiting.

These sunflowers were grown in my garden in the summer of 2023. I chose my favorites and photographed them without removing them from the stem. This series reminds me of a year full of trials.

We had just finished a big renovation project on our basement, adding an egress window and third bedroom downstairs, when flood waters seeped in and ruined our progress. In April when ice and snow from the winter melted, the Mississippi River swelled to a record height in our area and forced its way into our basement. Everything had to be moved upstairs to the garage, all the flooring torn up and much of the drywall to prevent mold from growing. It was a serious ordeal and I put in a lot of work everyday when I got home from my job.

The rest of the summer we waited. First for the water to recede and then for the various contractors to come in and repair the damage to the walls and floor. Half of our house was unlivable for several months as it was pieced back together but we made it work.

Upstairs in the backyard the garden kept growing. The sunflowers were a constant reminder to transcend this earthly crisis and look to the future and the things in life that were most important. Family and the love we have for one another. In September we were able to move back into our basement and stretch out once again. Often times things will happen in life that we can’t control but if we look up instead of down and follow the light, together, we can bear it and thrive.