Hello all you wonderful English learners! Today is officially the first day of fall, and finally, the weather is starting to cool down in Nagoya. I can’t wait to go outside and enjoy the outdoors for a few months before the cold weather comes. What do you like to do in fall? Please tell us next time you come to BRIDGE.
For today’s post, I decided to share a fun story from my home state in the US. In the city of Fort Wayne in the great state of Indiana, a gardener named Alex Babich grew the world’s tallest sunflower. The flower, which he nicknamed Clover, reached almost 36 feet (11 meters) high, taller than a telephone pole. Guinness World Records confirmed it as the tallest sunflower ever. Many people, including gardening experts and even a sports team mascot, came to watch the official measurement.
For Babich, the flower means more than just a record. He was born in Ukraine and moved to the United States after the Chernobyl disaster. Sunflowers are Ukraine’s national flower and a symbol of peace. He started growing them to honor his homeland and to show support for Ukraine, especially since the war began in 2022. His 10-year-old son also helped by placing four-leaf clovers on the sunflower’s leaves, giving it the name Clover.
Babich says caring for the sunflower was like raising one of his kids. He hopes that the story of this giant flower will live on with his family and inspire others to think about peace and Ukraine. A film called Bloom will tell the story of the record-breaking sunflower. In the meantime, Babich is sharing sunflower seeds with children and planting more flowers around his community to spread hope and love.
With all of the chaos and tragedy in the world right now, it is wonderful to hear about people who are staying positive and keeping hope alive. Even though situations are very difficult for many people these days, let’s all remember to appreciate the beauty and wonder of this world and to never take our lives for granted.
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