Growing Through the Cracks

Growing Through the Cracks

By: Kari deLongpre, Associate Social Worker, Assistant Director of Brand Strategy & Clinical Services, Strength in Service

I was out for a walk with the dog the other day when I saw a flower growing through a crack in a wooden fence. It wasn’t in a garden, wasn’t in rich soil—just stuck in this narrow, unlikely place. And yet, there it was, blooming anyway.

It made me think about how often we hold ourselves back, waiting for the right time, the right place, the right circumstances before we fully show up. We tell ourselves we’re not ready, that we need more experience, more confidence, more something before we can step into who we’re meant to be.

But that flower? It didn’t wait for perfect conditions. It grew where it was. It stretched toward the light with what it had, where it was planted.

How often do we let doubt stop us from moving forward? How often do we underestimate our ability to adapt, to grow, to thrive despite less-than-ideal circumstances? Life rarely gives us the perfect setup. More often, we find ourselves in unexpected places, facing challenges we didn’t anticipate. But just like that flower, we can choose to show up anyway.

And maybe, in starting, we find our strength. Growth isn’t about having the perfect conditions—it’s about resilience, about choosing to rise even when the odds aren’t in our favor.

That little flower didn’t ask if the crack in the fence was good enough. It didn’t wait for better soil or easier conditions. It simply bloomed.

So what if we did the same? What if we stopped waiting and started trusting that we have everything we need to take the next step—right here, right now?