When Patience Takes Root: A Community Journey Through a Sunflower
As we grow older, patience is often put to the test: receiving care, waiting for the elevator, living in close community… One day, Sr. Monique Bonami, from our Saint-Joseph community, shared her struggle with impatience—her own and that of others. Together, we decided to reflect on this theme as a community.
🌱 Sowing to Learn
At our first meeting, each Sister received a sunflower seed to plant, a Bible verse on patience to meditate on daily, and an envelope with reflection questions to open ten days later.
The goal? To observe our own patience during the germination process and compare it to the patience we need in daily life with one another.
🌻 From Seed to Awareness
At our second gathering, we shared our experiences. Most described a confident, joyful waiting. Two Sisters felt some anxiety: “Why isn’t my seed sprouting?”
Some talked to their plants, others simply watched them with love, and a few forgot about them altogether.
We then compared this experience to the patience required in everyday situations:
- Patience is easier when we have no control—like with a seed or an elevator.
- Prayer helps restore calm.
- Impatience is stronger when pain or dependence is involved.
- The nature of the relationship influences how tolerant we are.
A small, practical tool emerged: a double-sided sign for each Sister’s door—“Silence” / “Welcome”—to respect individual needs for solitude or openness.
🌼 In the Ground: The Fruit of Patience
On May 5, with Paolo’s help, we transplanted our sunflowers into the garden. Some had not survived. Yet even that spoke to us: in life too, we don’t always see the fruit of our efforts.
By mid-June, the first buds appeared. What joy!
🌸 What Nature Teaches Us
Creation speaks to us: patience bears fruit, even if the seed must first die. Each of us is called to consider what must “die” within ourselves so that more peace, gentleness, and hope may grow.
Thank you, Lord, for these simple and profound lessons. A seed, a kind gaze, a respected silence—these are the paths of transformation.
