Seeds of Hope in Trying Times

Lorelei Savaryn shares a few strategies for getting through the days when hope seems far away.

When Hope Doesn’t Come Easy  

It’s easier to feel hopeful in the spring. Signs of life are all around us. The grass has greened, the seeds are sprouting, birds nestle their nests in the branches, and the sun once again feels warm upon our shoulders. We who live the liturgical year may be especially attuned to the flow of this season. The Easter seasons stretches out during this time of vitality and beauty renewed.  

This winter was a long one for me, both in terms of the weather and in terms of what was going on in my life. I was nearing the end of a journey with chronic pain, but to feel better I needed to undergo two surgeries in less than six months. The waiting between surgeries fell right over the coldest, darkest days. Winter all around and winter within.   

It was not easy to feel hopeful.  

So many of us go through seasons like that, where the cold seeps into our bones and we can’t quite remember the last time we saw the sun. Perhaps it is an illness, or pain, or family struggles, or loneliness, or loss of work. It doesn’t matter what the winter looks like, but during those seasons of prolonged darkness, it is vital that we still find our way to hope. Even a flicker of it will do. 

Planting Hope Anyway  

During my waiting for surgery, I decided that in the spring I would plant some flowers in a little garden space in my yard. I had reason to believe that I would feel much better by that point, and the idea of growing flowers I could cut and put into vases in my home gave me just the hope I needed to endure. I spent time reading books and articles about the kinds of flowers I could grow. I dreamt up layouts and built a loose timetable. I planted seeds indoors to move outside later. My garden will not be perfect and it is not very fancy, but the simple act of planting seeds and watching them grow and trusting that the flowers will follow was an act of believing that the future would be good. 

Over Mother’s Day weekend, I was able to put many little plants into the soil, and while it was hard work it was fulfilling in the way something meaningful and personal is. I had spent weeks dreaming of this garden when my inner world was the bleakest it had been in a long time. And then, somehow, I was on the other side of it and the sun was out and the air smelled like crabapple blossoms, and there was dirt under my fingernails.  

I was so grateful I recognized my need for hope back in those dark, chilled months. And, as my work is not done yet, I’m so looking forward to tending the garden in the days to come and continuing to lean into the hope that it offers. 

Hopeful Ideas for Those in Need  

If you find yourself in any sort of winter, here are a few suggestions for ways to light the spark of hope, and to keep it alive as you navigate difficult waters. Perhaps one of these ideas will resonate, or perhaps it will spark an idea in your mind of something you would like to do.   

Plant something small.

Even if it’s indoors, like a potted herb on the windowsill, the act of nurturing a plant and watching it grow is a powerful reminder that healing takes time, but that it will come. 

Journal hope.

Another practice I found helpful was to journal throughout my personal winter. I wrote down little snippets of what I envisioned my life would be after I was feeling better. Journaling is also a great place to jot down prayers that have been answered, encouraging words you have received, and signs of progress. Documenting little moments of grace or a vision for the good things to come is an act of hope too. 

Build a playlist.

In the weeks leading up to surgery, I curated a playlist simply called Hope. It contained songs that talked about the promise that things will be good again and that I was strong and capable and would come out on the other side. Thinking through the meaning of the songs and adding them to the list was a powerful act of hope in and of itself. The playlist accompanied us on the long drive to the hospital and all through my recovery. I continue to listen to it, now on the side of feeling much better as well. 

Prepare a “Next Season” Project.

It could be a garden, but it could be one of many, many things. The idea is to prepare a project that you will complete when your life has moved beyond your current struggle. It could be redecorating a room, starting a new creative hobby, or planning a family adventure somewhere new. Planning is an act of hope that down the line things will be better than they are today. 

The Necessity of Hope  

We all need hope, but it can be harder to find during times of extended trial. If we have trouble finding it, we can also make the choice to cultivate it anew inside our homes and our hearts. We can plant hope like a seed, then create space for hope to sprout and bloom.   

If you’re in a winter season, I pray you find small ways to look toward spring. Better days are coming, and you are not alone. 

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Copyright 2025 Lorelei Savaryn
Images: Canva