Nourishment – June Focus
Continue Reading: Nourishment – June FocusNourishment: Savoring What Is Blooming June arrives with longer days, gardens blooming, and nature quietly reminding us that growth does not happen all at once. Spring’s tender beginnings have given way to the possibilities of summer abundance. Blossoms open, vegetables begin to emerge from the soil, birds feed their young, and the world seems to exhale into a season of nourishment. Yet nourishment is about more than food. For those navigating grief, loss, caregiving, or…
Can I Get Paid to Care for My Child With Disabilities?
At Hope Grows, we walk alongside caregivers who give so much of themselves, often at great emotional, physical, and financial cost. While our mission centers on nurturing mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness through therapeutic respite and nature-based care, we know that financial strain is a very real part of many caregiving journeys. From time to… Continue Reading
Held in the Heart of Grief
Grief, in its truest form, is not a problem to be solved or a wound to be quickly bandaged. It is a sacred unfolding, an experience of love’s deepest cost. It can feel raw and relentless—like waves crashing against the shore of our very being. And in those crashing moments, it’s easy to feel like… Continue Reading
What the Light Reveals: A Summer Solstice Reflection
The rain is falling in sheets as I glance up from my computer screen—a scene that’s become a bit repetitive this spring. This has been the wettest season I’ve seen since we moved here, and the clouds just keep coming. I find myself thinking about the upcoming summer solstice—the longest day of the year, when… Continue Reading
Reveal
Spring is gentle, often associated with renewal and breath. Its tenderness can be short-lived. Nature bursts forth, then hurries. Trees leaf out fully. Temperatures rise. The growing season surges ahead. We feel pressure to plant the flowers and get all of the garden beds looking just perfect, and then, alas! The rain and cooler temps… Continue Reading
Delight
Every part of the spring season can be a delightful scene dancing in front of us. The new growth is there for the taking, everywhere, watching the results of the softened earth from the melting snow and spring rains. The season beckons a positive emotional response, but when sadness or grief is present, finding the… Continue Reading
What is Spiritual Purpose? | How to Find Your Higher Purpose in Life
Finding your spiritual purpose can help uncover the beliefs that give life meaning to you. Begin your journey to your higher purpose in life now! Continue Reading
Why Is Hope So Important? Understand The Deeper Meaning Of Hope
Discover why hope is important in everyday life for resilience, motivation, and mental well-being. Learn how cultivating hope can improve relationships and foster personal growth. Continue Reading
Tranquility
Confidence in bloom is the vibe in the Healing Gardens of the Iris Respite House. The vibrant yellow of the daffodil flowers catch my attention as I contemplate how much I struggle this time of year with the transition between winter and spring. Just the other day, I had a burst of energy from the… Continue Reading
Held in the In-Between: Life, Death, and the Spring Equinox
In early spring, each sunbreak graces our shoulders like an unexpected gift—a warm hug from Mother Nature, thawing our wintered hearts. The first warmth of spring is startling, isn’t it? It’s surprising to feel sun-kissed when we’ve grown accustomed to being chilled. The Spring equinox teeters between almost and not yet. It is the beginning… Continue Reading
Appreciation
I woke the other day to a beautiful heavy snow. It happened to be on a Saturday, so my morning was a bit more relaxed. The picture from the sunroom window, here at the Iris Respite House & Healing Gardens, was breathtaking. I stood there, looking out the window, mesmerized by the beauty. I felt… Continue Reading
Breathe
The month of February seems to lend itself to moments of deep breathing. Research shows that mindful deep breathing practices elicit balance and transform stress into peace. James Nestor, the author of “Breath” writes about the new science around the lost art of breathing. I truly find the book fascinating and worthy of the reading… Continue Reading
Tenacity
January’s focus is about tenacity, with Clematis as our flower pick and Laurel Leaf as the essential oil. Tenacity, by definition, is persistence, with some synonyms including courage, mettle, resolution, and spirit. I believe that spirit and tenacity largely overlap, with spirit suggesting a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one’s own or keep… Continue Reading