Flourish: Our Theme for 2025

Amy Oledzki on January 8, 2025

Happy New Year! Hope Grows spent some time over the holiday season recharging and enjoying time with family. “Taking a Break” has been something that Hope Grows has incorporated into their work model since the founding. Practicing what we teach not only has helped us to continue to deliver our Model of Care at the top of our game, it helps us help caregivers flourish.

During this break, not only was connecting with family important, but connecting with nature was, too. As this time of the year marks the beginning of the changing season, I prefer to embrace it with excitement, not dread. Yes, winter is, for some, a time of trepidation. The freezing temps, snow and ice, and the darkness lend itself for an emotional storm. However, if we think about the positive of what winter can bring, our souls can flourish. John Muir so brilliantly put it, “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.” Well, I wasn’t expecting anyone to climb a mountain over the break (I sure didn’t), but his message continues to say that if you get good tidings from the mountains, “nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.” Then, “The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

Perhaps if we look at winter as an increase in energy, we can begin to flourish. I believe that his message is about taking time, especially during the depths of winter, to allow the tenacity of nature and perhaps, winter, to help us flourish. To flourish is a beautiful and profoundly tenacious concept for reflection. To flourish in the darkness of winter, whether it’s the literal season or a symbolic period of challenge, requires resilience, adaptability, and inner strength. Embracing the cold, with a bit of steadfastness, can remind us that even in the most barren times, growth is possible, and life continues to find its way.

As the seasons of the year cycle through this year, consider the thought that flourishing can become a testament to our capacity for renewal and transformation. The goal is to not just find beauty and purpose in the coldest moments, but throughout the year as well.

To flourish spiritually means nurturing the seeds of hope, love, and faith within, even in times of stillness or challenge. It encourages us to trust the process, to be present with what is, and to cultivate gratitude for the subtle growth that often goes unseen. Reflect and consider how you would like to embody this flourishing spirit as you journey through winter and each new season in 2025.

Happiest in Nature!

Lisa Story, MSCP, LPC, CT
Founder & Clinical Director

Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens – January 2023

Amy Oledzki on January 15, 2023

The past month at Hope Grows has been one of new beginnings. The December ribbon cutting
marked a new era as the Iris Respite House is finally poised to welcome its first guests. Hope
Grows now has a brand new (big!) sign that is actually readable from the road. And, the winter
solstice heralded the return of the sun, returning light to the land, which, in my book, is always
something to celebrate.


Nature is never lazy. Not one plant has ever simply refused to grow when provided with the
proper environment and care. But they do unashamedly and deeply rest, willingly leaving behind
any outworn plant parts, and entering into their period of quiet self-renewal. Every winter, when
the temps dip below freezing, the annuals complete their lifecycle, and the perennials retreat
underground, the garden goes to sleep. They make no apologies for this, it’s simply understood to
be necessary for growth and survival. I have studied the process in school, and observed it year
after year since I started gardening, but it never gets boring. There hasn’t been a winter yet where
the stark transformation doesn’t leave me in awe.

Learn more about Self-Renewal


Hope Grows’ theme for 2023 is Rest–Relax–Restore. January’s focus is art and creativity through
therapeutic respite. Nature herself provides endless inspiration for artists, with plants and flowers
taking center stage in countless paintings. However, when I researched plants that actually
symbolize creativity, I came up with surprisingly few: 1) Emilia, or tassel flower, which was a new
plant in my vocabulary; 2) lupine, which actually symbolizes imagination, among other things; and
3) verbena, also symbolizing multiple attributes. (Amaryllis, on the other hand, possessing
gorgeous trumpet blooms, symbolizes artistic achievement, so if you want to reward someone who
has just won an artistic prize, present them with an amaryllis.)


I did a little reading on verbena and found the folklore fascinating. I would actually regard it as a
sacred plant. The Egyptians claimed it sprang from the tears of the goddess Isis, and legend has it
that verbena was used to stop the bleeding of Jesus’ crucifixion wounds after he was taken down
from the cross. It is said to offer protection from vampires, witchcraft, depression, negative
emotions, harmful dreams and evil intentions. Scatter some verbena around the home if you want
to bring peace. And, fittingly for Hope Grows, verbena can also mean hope in darkness!


So, this month, I encourage you to lose, or find, yourself in a personal creative endeavor, no
matter what it is. If you’re at a loss for ideas, try taking a walk out in nature and let it serve your
senses and inspire your inner creative. Be true to you, do something you’ll enjoy, or at least think
you’ll enjoy, don’t be afraid, and have fun. Hopefully, by the end of the month, you’ll have little
tassel flowers, lupines and verbenas dancing together in crowns above your heads to inspire you.
If, perhaps, you need to rest, relax or restore, think of those perennials. Make no apologies or
excuses, know it is for your own strength and survival, and take some time to quietly self-renew.