Sunflower Story

Forever remembering our sunflower sister, Julie 🌻

It’s been a year now since you closed your eyes to this earth and opened them in Heaven. (1)

We ache that you’re no longer here with us, and we will forever hold you dearly in our hearts. We live with the pain of this earthly separation, yet are held by the certainty of our hope in reunion. What a glorious day that will be, when we are reunited for eternity!

Tim Keller once said:

“Death used to be able to crush us, but now all death can do is plant us in God’s soil, so we become something extraordinary.”

And Jennifer Rothschild brings her own wisdom in these words- “Heaven, it is our glorious unending, where faith becomes sight. It is our true country, our Father’s house, and it is the place of no more tears, sorrow, crying or pain”

We rest in the sure hope that your life in Heaven is more beautiful, radiant and peaceful than we could even imagine.

And while we are still living this side of the veil, we know you’d want us to live fully here, to love lavishly and to find joy in the small things, just as you always did. Your beautifully brave example continues to inspire us, even in your absence.

This year, we planted the sunflower seeds you left us. We watched them grow and bloom extravagantly throughout the summer. As the season turned to autumn – your favourite time of year- we gathered their spent petals and let them fall free upon the River Dee, taking a quiet moment to reflect on this year gone by. A year without you, yet a year closer to the day we will see you again in heaven.

The bright golden yellows, rich russet browns and deep reds of autumn brought their own warmth and “Gilmore Girls” vibe to the day. Another reminder of your love of all things Fall.

As the river carries your petals onwards, so our love for you flows on, beyond what we can see or touch, until our eternal homecoming.

And woven through this year of missing you have been precious moments of feeling close to you. In June, we had the joy and delight of seeing glimmers of you in your children when they visited Scotland, sharing hugs, warmth and love, and treasuring time together with your dear husband. Those moments were such a gift, reminding us that your love lives on in the people you hold so dear.

And so, each year, we will continue to plant sunflower seeds — a living symbol of our love for you and of the bond that keeps us close, even across the distance between this world and the next. As they grow and turn their faces towards the sun, they will remind us of your warmth, your joy and the beautiful light you brought into our lives.

A year on, we miss you just as deeply, love you just as dearly, and carry you with us in all that we do. The sunflowers may bloom and fade with the passing seasons, but our love for you will never fade.

Forever our sunflower sister. Forever loved. Forever remembered. Until we meet again. 🌻❤️

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

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Footnote (1) personalised from Jennifer Rothschild’s devotional- Heaven for Today