Spring for the Soul: The Courage to Grow Again
🌼 March Mini-Series: Spring for the Soul
The Courage to Grow Again
🌸 Taking Small Steps Forward
Growth requires courage after loss.
Last week, after an unusual snowless and warmer winter, we were suddenly hit by a blizzard. While we desperately needed the moisture, I felt myself drawn back into the feeling of trudging around with muddy boots, dirty floors, cold days and nights, and the familiar dread of darkness and wind.
It caught me off guard.
And isn’t that how grief can feel?
Just when we think we are moving forward, feeling lighter, maybe even hopeful again, something shifts. A memory. A season. A smell. A storm. And suddenly, we are pulled back into emotions we thought we had already worked through.
❄️ When Grief Feels Like It Returns
It reminded me that grief doesn’t disappear; it revisits.
Even now, after all these years of living without my daddy, who passed away when I was just eight years old, those waves still come. Not as often. Not as strong. But they come. And as I wrote my book that is about to be launched into the world, it has brought a lot of those feelings back more often than I was prepared for.
As a child, I remember wondering why those sad, heavy feelings would return just when I thought I was “okay” again.
What I’ve learned, and what our children need to know, is this:
Grief doesn’t go away. It changes.
New traditions help us move forward. But the absence of old traditions can stir a quiet kind of homesickness for what once was.
And that’s not failure.
That’s love remembering.
🌱 The Courage to Begin Again
Growth after loss isn’t automatic; it’s intentional.
It requires:
A willingness to re-engage with life
A return to play and a feeling of safety for children
Permission to feel both joy and sadness
Trust that hope can grow again, even in tender places
For children especially, growth can look like small, quiet steps:
Laughing again without guilt
Trying something new
Feeling safe enough to express emotions
Beginning to dream again
These are sacred signs of healing.
📖 Rooted in Truth
Scripture reminds us that God is still at work, even when growth feels slow or unseen:
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” — Philippians 1:6
“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come…” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Even after loss, God is still creating something new within us.
🛠️ Gentle Tools for Growing Hearts
Here are a few simple, meaningful ways to support children (and ourselves) as we grow forward:
Breath Prayers
Short, calming prayers like: “God, you are with me.”Memory Rituals
Lighting a candle, sharing a story, or looking at photos togetherComfort Verses
Keeping simple Scriptures visible and accessibleA Listening Ear
Creating safe space for children to share without correction or pressure
These small practices become stepping stones toward healing.
💬 A Moment for Reflection
For a child (or even for you):
“What is something new you want to try this spring?”
It might be something simple.
It might feel small.
But small steps are still steps forward.
🎨 Children’s Activity: “My Courage to Grow Garden”
Just like flowers grow little by little in the spring, our hearts grow too—even after hard and sad seasons.
🌱 What You’ll Need:
A piece of paper
Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
✏️ Instructions:
1. Draw a Garden
Have the child draw a garden with soil, sunshine, clouds, and flowers (or seeds just beginning to grow).
2. Plant “Courage Seeds”
Inside each flower (or seed), write or draw one small step of courage.
Examples:
Trying something new
Talking about feelings
Smiling again
Playing with a friend
Saying a prayer
3. Add Roots of Truth
Under the soil, draw roots. On the roots, write simple truths like:
“God is with me”
“I am loved”
“It’s okay to feel sad”
“I can grow again”
4. Shine the Light of Hope
Draw a sun in the corner. Inside the sun, write:
☀️ “God is helping me grow.”
🙏 Optional Breath Prayer:
As they color, here is a simple breath prayer you may guide them through:
Inhale: “God, You are with me”
Exhale: “Help me grow strong”
🌷 Closing Encouragement:
Remind the child:
Just like flowers don’t grow all at once, you don’t have to either. Every small step you take is helping your heart grow.
A Special Invitation: Join My Book Launch Team!
It's time! As I prepare to release And the Sun Came Up: A True Story of Grief and Hope, I am building a Launch Team—a group of people who want to help bring hope to children and families walking through loss.
If this message resonates with you…
If you care about helping children heal…
If you believe in the power of hope…
✨ I would love for you to be part of this journey.
Here is the link to sign up: https://forms.gle/DoW7ovse2ggGk7h68
As a Launch Team member, you’ll receive:
Fun giveaway opportunities and swag for being a member of the team
Early updates and behind-the-scenes content
Opportunities to share and support the message
Encouragement and resources to help children navigate grief
Together, we can help more children see that even after the darkest night…
☀️ the sun still comes up.
