Ashes & Wildflowers: A Name Forged in Survival and Growth

Every name has a story. Mine grew from both loss and unexpected beauty.

The Ashes

Some names are chosen. Mine was forged in survival.

Ashes & Wildflowers is more than a title—it’s a reflection of my journey. The ashes represent the season of my life shaped by cancer: the grief, the fear, the stripping away of everything I thought I knew. It was a time of deep loss—and unexpected clarity. In those ashes, I found the raw soil where something beautiful could grow.

The Wildflowers

Those are my wildflowers—my daughter, my twin sons, and the unexpected beauty of motherhood. They continue to bloom in the aftermath, wild and radiant, reminding me that life doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. It finds cracks in the pavement and grows anyway.

Life in the Middle

Beyond the garden of healing, I’m simply a woman learning to love life in all its flavors. I’m a single mother raising three little ones while working full time—a daily balancing act that demands both grit and grace.

My mornings start long before the sun, with school lunches and coffee brewing while emails ping in the background. Evenings are a flurry of exercise, dinner, bedtime routines, and when the kids are finally asleep, you’ll often find me lost in a true crime podcast, fascinated by the puzzle of human resilience. There are days when exhaustion sits heavy on my shoulders—but there is also an unshakable pride in showing my children what resilience looks like. They see a mom who keeps moving, keeps loving, and keeps building a life for them even when the odds feel stacked.

The Garden We Grow

This blog is part of my garden: a space to share the messy magic of raising little ones, the gentle pursuit of wellness, and the creative routines that help me stay grounded. Here, healing meets non-toxic living, anti-inflammatory recipes, and a kind of motherhood that embraces both chaos and grace.

I named it Ashes & Wildflowers because I believe in both the burning down and the blooming up—in the strength it takes to rise, and the softness it takes to nurture.

Your Turn

If you’re here, maybe you’ve walked through your own ashes. Maybe you’re planting your own wildflowers.

What are you growing in your own season of change?

Let’s grow something beautiful together.

Share your story in the comments, or join my newsletter to grow this garden of resilience together.

“Like wildflowers; you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you never would.” — E.V. Rogina