You came a long time ago in my life, my dearest friend
You were read aloud as a poem and shown as artwork to a five year old sitting in a safe space full of warmth. Then you were always there, sometimes as a gentle memory sometimes buried between the other books or that one time your poem “Sunflowersea” was painted on the wall of my music school.
Not until that very moment, three summers ago. I found you again. No stinging roses for me, no. Only that bright, warm, confident flower. Ι called you Tyr. Even though you lasted not that long, I found you one more time again. This time in a plant pot. I planted you some friends but only one came out.
And so have months passed and every spring and summer I got to know more of you and your friends. They too grew bigger. Just like me.
And now, I see you everywhere and you and the others are my friends, are my tokens I am at the right place. Messages of spreading positivity, messages of growing, messages about being confident and persevering. But also kind lessons that you can still grow and shine even when you stand a bit wonky, even when you’ve lost some petals.
The poem, the painting and other paintings and poems as well are living proof that you, my dearest friend, have been, is and will be special to humankind. Or at least, the human that is wanting to be drenched in the sun, just like you.
Laura van Cutsem 