I jumped off my bike, kicked the stand into place and ran off in search for the sunflowers.

On Friday, I woke up at 7:15 a.m., tried to fall back asleep four more times and finally decided to wake up at 8 a.m. Needless to say, I woke up feeling like all I wanted to do was stay in bed. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through social media, refreshing and refreshing again, as if something new would magically pop up between the last time I'd hit refresh two seconds ago. Mostly, I put off the whole getting-out-of-bed thing. Except, I had this whole productive day planned out. So, eventually, I crawled out of bed.

I made a beautiful plate of banana pancakes (2 eggs, 1 banana, a dash of cinnamon) and by 10 a.m. I was sat inside my latest favorite coffee shop to send out those emails, get a head start on this week's readings, and do the various things that have been sitting at the top of my to-do list for a while now. But, the perfectly plated pancakes and the cappuccino with the big foam heart couldn't improve the grogginess and the miserable mood from plaguing me. I tried to blame it on the rain.

After doing a lousy job of being productive, because endorphins make the world go around and I figured I could use some, I decided to go on a bike ride.

I went home, changed, and hopped on my trusty bike. I headed to the path by the lake that I usually run on, meaning that I've never been that far along it.

Mama Mia rang in my ears as I began to pedal, losing myself and track of time. I got to a point where the path changed and it was no longer around the lake, and instead, it led me into a little, wooded area. There, the trail was no longer smooth concrete, but slabs full of cracks patched together in an ununiform way. To add, it was uphill. I thought about turning around a few times, I'd ridden far enough. For some reason, I kept going because I kept thinking the road would flatten out again. Heads up, it didn't.

Rather, it opened up into a field of flowers. A little sign read, "Community Garden."

Joy spread onto my face immediately. It was one of those "God is real moments." Because suddenly, I realized how simple it was, that everything is okay and is going to be okay because there are flowers at the end of the road. Flowers that are blooming brightly against the gray sky. Flowers that are every color, that are full of life, that are absolutely magnificent. The beauty of the garden stretched out before me only reminded me how simple life could be, finding joy could be.

I jumped off my bike, kicked the stand into place and ran off in search for the sunflowers. I skipped through the paths, unable to take the grin off of my face. It started to rain again, and all I could do was twirl around, laughing, grinning like a little kid.

If these flowers could bloom in the rain, I thought, then maybe I can too.

If the sunflowers can bloom in the rain, then, darling, so can you

Rachael Anne

"If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness" -St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Rachael Anne

"Bloom where you are planted"

Rachael Anne