I believe the sunflower is the most beautiful
flower in the world. Its cheery, bright disposition is an
instant attraction. When I see a sunflower, I have to
stop and take a look. I have never been a gardener but
when this flower was brought into my life everything
changed.
My precious Shetland sheepdog shared 17 years
of my life, and he brought me so much love and joy.
When he developed arthritis and could barely stand
on his four legs we had to say goodbye. Tears of
sadness trickled down my face and I felt I had lost a
piece of my heart.
Shortly after the loss of my dog, I was at a
nursery with my family. A beautiful flower caught my
eye. Its yellow petals created a beaming face. This
was the flower I wanted in memory of my dog. I had
never grown a sunflower before so I asked for some
advice on how to care for it, but unfortunately despite
all my tender loving care, the plant died not long
after. I will never be able to grow a sunflower again, I
thought to myself.
The loss of my dog was very tragic for me.
Another promise I made to myself when he died was
to start writing a picture book about a dog, as writing
is another major part of my life.
I had a fortunate meeting with Bryce Courtenay,
the very successful Australian author in 2012, and I
was selected to be a participant in his Master Class. I
was excited to do Bryce Courtenay‟s course as he had
written 21 novels. His first novel The Power of One
was made into a movie. The story conveyed a
message about how one person could do so much
good and make a difference in others‟ lives. So
meeting and spending time with this famous author
was a dream come true.
Bryce was a very kind and supportive person.
The time I spent in his Master Class changed my life
in many ways. Bryce knew when he conducted this
class that he only had months left to live. Bryce was a
man who was truly passionate about what he did.
He encouraged me to believe in myself and my
writing.
Believing in myself was not just applied to my
writing. On the final day of the Master Class each
student was given a sunflower seedling. In giving me
this plant, Bryce had one request. It was that I continue
his legacy and pass on the plant's seeds to others. He
also shared some words that he had written about the
sunflower: „And God created a flower and named it
after the Sun.‟
I was happy to receive the gift of the sunflower
from Bryce, yet there was a sense of sadness. I had
chosen the sunflower in memory of my dog and
unfortunately I had not succeeded in growing the plant.
However Bryce now had given me a second chance, a
new opportunity to try again and believe in myself.
I cared for and loved this seedling. I researched the
best way to look after the plant. It gave me much joy
having this responsibility. I watched the seedling grow
until one day it was nearly as tall as me. The plant at
just over 12 weeks old reached a height of
approximately one metre. Finally after about two
months, the seedling turned into the most beautiful
sunflower I had ever seen. I proudly collected the seeds