U is for Unfold in the Blogging A to Z Challenge. Now it’s time to unfold. My blog is named Unfold and Begin. At the beginning of this A to Z Challenge, letter B was for Begin, and I referenced why I named my blog Unfold and Begin. It’s a reminder that I need to head into new things (new beginnings) while standing tall, not folded up as if to remain hidden because of fears.

Bloom like a flower; unfold your own beauty.

Debasish Mridha

I originally had ‘unfold’ because my first blog was named Unfold and Evolve. It was going to be about my yoga practice and yoga teaching. But after a few posts, those fears cropped up, and I deleted everything. I began thinking, “Who am I to say that I’ve evolved?”

When I started the second blog, I kept the word unfold because that imagery resonated with me. Someone unfolding themselves and opening up to life. I wanted to focus on starting over as an empty-nester. Trying new things and having fun in my second half of life.

It’s also why I use sunflowers in my logo. Sunflowers lift their head up to the sun. When they’re young, they actually follow the sun from east to west and return to east during the night. As they mature, they continue facing east because the morning sun warms them up quicker than the afternoon sun. Sunflowers stand proudly in the morning sun. It’s a beautiful sight to see. Did you know that sunflowers are now used to clean up radiation sites because they absorb lead?

It’s time for all of us to unfold and shine our faces toward the sun. (With sunblock, of course!)