You can take the corn-fed Nebraska girl out of Nebraska, but she’ll never forget her roots.

Corn…..of all the things to give you a little Monday motivation and inspiration, surely, I can find SOMETHING more fascinating than corn, right? Today’s feature can be found in the Botanical Garden in Fayetteville, AR and pictures don’t do it justice. At the center of the vegetable and herb garden, this Corn statue glimmers and shines in the sunlight, and the peaceful sounds of water can be heard as you take in the beauty of life around you. That’s the point of statues and sculptures, right? To create some sort of connection of life, nature, and people is the sole purpose of art.

As a typical Nebraska-born girl, I appreciate corn more than a city girl. It’s always been a part of my family in one way or another. From occupations to events, and food, crops, and farming have impacted my life and ingrained in my heart. Memories of shucking corn for Mom to freeze, Dad cussing repairs for combines, and little family date nights with my husband and children crammed in a tractor cab.

I can almost guarantee you’ve touched something that was created with corn today. Glue, shoe polish, aspirin, ink, marshmallows, ice cream, and certain cosmetics all have corn in them. Something so small and insignificant has influenced our lives in one way or another. It’s given us a way of life and allowed us to do so much more than settlers ever would’ve imagined when they came to this land. Native Americans used every bit of the stalk to create everything and anything they needed to survive.

Never doubt the significance of yourself. If one tiny kernel of corn can affect the livelihood of the world, then whatever beauty and kindness you can provide already makes you important to this world. You have the power to influence all that you touch if you trust the seeds of kindness and joy that you spread. Imagine the beauty you can give this world if you stand as tall and proud as a cornstalk. Blind the world with your bright smiles and joy like the striking yellow of a corn kernel. If one stalk of corn can sustain life, imagine the type of world we could have if we planted seeds of compassion, love, kindness, and support.