Broken things can still be beautiful

Can you spot the duct tape in the midst of all those tomatoes?

That's the second break for this sunflower. The first break is hiding in the white pot. Little Abe dropped a large broom onto this plant when it was about two feet tall. It cracked right at ground level and fell to the ground. I loved my sunflower last year and was devastated at the disaster. Little Abe felt as badly as I did about the accident so we decided to try and fix it. I sliced the bottom off of a cheap pot I had in the garage (that I was given a few years ago) and slid it down over the top of the broken plant. I filled the pot with dirt and gave it a good watering. The sunflower plant continued to grow as if nothing ever happened. It was a good save.

Not too long ago I went out back to see the plant laying flat on the ground once again with a giant break in the center of it's stalk. I honestly do not know what happened. It needed water so that's possibly why it collapsed or it was hit by the neighbor kid's basketball. I wouldn't doubt the latter in the least. This break was much worse since I couldn't bury it and since the plant was so much bigger but I wasn't giving up none the less. I tied the plant to the fence and with two Popsicle sticks and a good helping of duct tape I secured the break. It did stop growing. The head stopped following the sun and the leaves would wilt anytime the soil got the least bit dry but the head kept developing so there was hope.

Today it happened. It's not six feet tall like the one last year (it's a little under five feet). The head isn't gigantic and it's not filled with hundreds of beautiful seeds but this lovely flower is proof that broken things can still be beautiful. 

I'm encouraged by it and clearly thrilled that the little guy pulled through.
Never let your wounds destroy you.