why sunflowers in sunshowers? Where does the name come from?

You know, I get a lot of comments on my business name — a lot of people love it. They think it sounds beautiful, but they’re always curious about the name. Where did it come from? Does it have meaning? Is it because I just really love sunflowers or is there something more to it? Well, I do love sunflowers, but I didn’t always love them quite the same way I’ve grown to.

Let me take you back for a second. Many years ago, when my daughter was first born, I started a blog called Sunflowers in Sunshowers. It was meant to be a "mom and lifestyle" blog, but honestly, I’m not even sure it fully counted as a blog. There wasn’t much to see, and I’m not entirely convinced anyone ever even read it! But the idea behind it was there, even if it never quite took off. You know, I tried to follow in the footsteps of other moms and bloggers I admired, but honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I was more of a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of mom.

The truth is, motherhood hit me hard, reflecting back I can see that I was struggling with birth trauma, among other things, and motherhood was a crash course is learning how reality rarely meets your expectations. The say that first year was hard would be an understatement to say the least. Being the “breadwinner” at the time, maternity leave hit us hard as a family, we were struggling financially, my husband was hiding debilitating anxiety and although I didn’t know it at the time, I was constantly being triggered my own unhealed wounds (more on that another day) so mentally and emotionally I was living on the edge of nuclear meltdown. We fell into survival mode. I went back to work when my daughter was just seven months old, even though as a Canadian I had the option to take a year off, the truth is I couldn’t afford it — in any sense. At the time I went on maternity leave I was at a high point in my corporate career — I was the picture of success, and though I wasn’t in love with the work, I was constantly feeling validated by my perceived career success, something I desperately needed to feel good at the time.

When I chose the name Sunflowers in Sunshowers for my mommy blog, it was a reflection of my growing family—the love between my now-husband and me and the journey of parenthood we were navigating together, because I knew it wasn’t easy but I knew I needed to bear the storm and stay focused on the light.

You see the symbol of the sunflower in a sunshower actually came from a story my husband wrote for a few years before our daughter was born. It was something he had written for me during a really hard time in our relationship. We were struggling, and I had some serious doubts about where we were headed. At the time, I honestly didn’t know if we were going to make it. But my husband and I communicate best through the written word, and so, he wrote me a story. For the first time, I really saw myself through his eyes. I saw that he got me—deep down to my soul. It was the most beautiful gift I’ve ever received. Through that story, I felt understood, seen, and loved in a way I hadn’t ever before. During that time in my motherhood journey, I needed that symbolism again—the beacon of light that would carry me through the storm.

While nothing ever came of that very first blog, it was the start of something. Whenever I hit a rough patch in my life, I think the sunflower in the sunshower, I think of post-traumatic growth, and I think about how it has become a symbol of hope and perspective for me. It’s about seeing and turning towards the light, even when it’s hidden behind the clouds.

As I embarked on my journey, I began to see more depth in that metaphor. It’s about acknowledging the rain in our lives—the pain, the setbacks, the struggles—and embracing it, because it’s through those challenges that we grow. It’s through the rain that the sunflower pushes through the soil, reaching for the sun. It’s through life’s toughest moments that we discover our resilience, our strength, and our power. The rain nourishes us, just like the difficult experiences we go through nourish our growth. It’s in the storm that we realize how strong we truly are, and how beautiful our transformation can be.

The journey of post-traumatic growth—the process of finding strength and healing after hardship—is what I believe women are capable of. It's not just about surviving; it’s about flourishing. When we heal, we rise not just as who we were before, but as a stronger, more empowered version of ourselves. We rise with purpose, with compassion, and with a deep connection to our authentic selves.

There’s a quote by Dame Helen Mirren that speaks so much to this: “I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life than the sunflower. For me, that’s because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it.”

This quote is a perfect metaphor for what I’ve come to understand about healing and empowerment. Just like the sunflower, we are capable of finding the light, no matter how faint or hidden it may be. It’s about seeking out the good in the world, even when it feels difficult. It’s about remembering that after every storm, there’s always a rainbow waiting for us. Every challenge, every hardship, every setback contains within it the seeds for growth, if we allow ourselves to see it.

For me, Sunflowers in Sunshowers is about showing women how to navigate the storms of life and still find the light. It’s about recognizing that healing isn’t a linear path—it’s a journey, one that takes patience, resilience, and trust in ourselves. We’re not meant to stay small or be defined by our hardships. We are meant to rise, to flourish, and to lead with strength and compassion.

So, what does that mean for you? It means embracing your journey—every part of it. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the painful. It means allowing yourself to grow, to lean into your vulnerability, and to trust that everything you’ve been through is leading you toward something greater. You are capable of outgrowing and outshining the obstacles on your path Every challenge holds the potential for transformation. They don’t break you, they make you—-stronger, more resilient, and more beautiful than before.

So, my fellow sunflowers, I invite you to join me on this journey. Let’s grow together, embracing our healing, our power, and our purpose. Let’s become the best, most empowered versions of ourselves so that we can live our dreams, transform our lives, and change the world in the process. After all, we need each other. The world needs us. Let’s rise, shine, and flourish—no matter what the weather may bring.