Lessons from Grandma Rose: The People Who Shape Us

In Loving Dedication to My Grandma Rose

This blog is lovingly dedicated to my Grandma Rose — a woman whose wisdom continues to guide my life, my work, and the heart of my practice. Her voice, her presence, and her belief that “the sun will shine again” are woven into every word that follows.

My Grandma Rose was the type of woman whose wisdom settled into your bones long after she spoke. Her presence was steady, her lessons simple but profound, and her belief in the people  around her unwavering. When I think about the women who shaped me — mothers, aunts, grandmothers, elders, mentors — I realize their influence extends far beyond the moments we remember. Their teachings continue to guide us, especially during seasons when we feel lost or disconnected from ourselves.

Grandma Rose’s voice, much like my Great Aunt Mary’s, still sits with me in quiet moments. Her wisdom became a compass, not only personally but professionally. When I began building my practice, I knew I wanted its identity — especially the logo — to honor the women who raised me, supported me, and shaped how I see healing. Roses became the foundation of the logo as a tribute to my Grandma. For me, roses are not just beautiful; they are symbols of strength, softness, hope, and the ability to bloom even after enduring difficult conditions.

One of my Grandma’s greatest teachings was simple yet profound:
“The sun will shine again.”
She repeated it during hard moments — sometimes as a comfort, sometimes as a reminder, always as a promise. That message guided the creation of my logo. The rose represents resilience, the unfolding petals reflect healing at one’s own pace, and the gentle upward design symbolizes her belief that light always returns. Every detail is intentional — a visual reminder to clients that no matter how heavy the season, warmth and growth are still possible.

In therapy, clients often reconnect with the voices of the people who shaped their identity. Sometimes those voices are nurturing and encouraging. Other times, they carry pain, silence, or unmet needs. Either way, these influential figures — whether they were women or men, relatives or chosen family, mentors or caregivers — become part of the emotional blueprint that influences how we love, communicate, navigate relationships, and heal.

For me, my Great Aunt Mary represents the lineage of women who built resilience through their stories, while my Grandma Rose represents the tenderness and hope that allows us to keep growing. Together, they embody the duality of strength and softness that I aim to reflect in my practice’s visual identity. Their presence is central to my story — but I also recognize that each person’s story is shaped by a unique constellation of people who offered guidance, protection, love, or lessons.

The women who came before me survived so much without the emotional language, therapeutic support, or mental health resources we have today. Their resilience was built through experience — through survival, community, repetition, and quiet endurance. And even though they might not have had the space to process their own wounds, they laid the foundation for us to heal in ways they never could. In that way, our healing becomes a continuation of the work they began but never had the privilege to complete.

Honoring the people who shaped us — women and men, family and community, biological relatives or chosen loved ones — allows us to reconnect with our roots. It reminds us that we come from a lineage of perseverance, love, and wisdom passed down through recipes learned by heart, laughter shared in kitchens, stories told on porches, guidance offered in classrooms, and silent strength witnessed during storms. These individuals remind us that we are not starting from scratch — we are continuing a story generations in the making.

Incorporating roses into my practice’s logo is one of the ways I keep my Grandma’s spirit with me. It’s a way to honor her presence, her lessons, and her quiet belief that growth is always possible. The rose in the logo symbolizes her voice in my life — soft but steady, gentle but unshakable. And the message underneath it all remains the same:
No matter where you are planted, you can grow. And no matter how long the storm lasts, the sun will shine again.

By honoring the people who shaped us, we honor our own healing. We acknowledge the resilience we carry. We recognize that healing is not only personal — it is generational and communal. And when we grow, we heal parts of them too.