On an early Saturday morning in July, I stepped outside to water the potted flowers that adorn my front porch. The sun was just beginning to stretch across the sky, casting a soft golden glow over the dew-covered grass. The world was still, that final hush before the day begins. As I reached for the watering can, I noticed some of the blooms looked tired. Their color was dulled, petals were drooping and weary from the heat of the week. That's when I realized, it was time to do more than water, it was time to tend.
I pulled one of the pots down from its hanger and sat with it in my lap while I began to gently pull away the wilted flowers and dry brittle stems. I loosened the soil and added fertilizer, giving the roots the nourishment they needed to keep growing. The work was quiet and simple, but not mindless. With each wilted bloom I removed, I felt something stir in me.
That's when the connection hit me, this is exactly what KyUMH does for the youth we serve.
Watering alone doesn't sustain. Children, like flowers, need more. They need nourishment. They need care that goes beyond the surface. And sometimes, they need help letting go of the things that no longer serve them; hurt, fear, trauma, or self-doubt—so they have space to grow stronger and bloom brighter.
At KyUMH, we don't just meet basic needs. We offer support, structure, therapy and love. We see past the wilted petals and into the potential that is waiting underneath. And just like my flowers, with a little time and care, our youth begin to thrive. They begin to see that they're not broken, they're growing, and there's somehting strong and good taking root.
That morning, I didn't just tend to my flowers, I was reminded of why this work matters.
