Bloom Where You are Planted

Few things are as simple—and as profound—as wildflowers. I don’t water them, I don’t tend to them, and honestly, I didn’t even plant them this year. Yet, there they are, pushing up through the earth, bringing unexpected joy to anyone who stops to notice them. They bloom where they are planted.  That phrase—“bloom where you are planted”—is scattered throughout my office. But I’ll be honest: there were seasons when I truly questioned whether I could bloom in the chaos around me. Still, somehow, I did.

My career path has been anything but linear. I’m incredibly grateful for a supportive husband who’s stood beside me as my passions shifted over the years. We often laugh about how he always knew he wanted to be a teacher—and he did it. He found his path early, and he’s likely to retire from the very field he dreamed about as a kid.  Me? I had big plans to become a lawyer. I was obsessed with all things legal—L.A. Law was a favorite growing up (who didn’t idolize Harry Hamlin, right?). I even attended a law event at Washburn as a teen and loved every minute of it. Gerry Spence’s How to Argue and Win Every Time was practically my guidebook—although I’m sure my dad would say I didn’t need any help learning to argue.

While most of my classmates from small-town Kansas were headed to K-State, I had other plans. I headed to Pittsburg State University,  to be a proud Gorilla.  #OAGAAG.  That’s where I started to bloom.  I pursued a degree in Psychology, thinking it would be the perfect stepping stone to law. But along the way, I realized something: my heart was pulling me toward counseling, not the courtroom. I considered school counseling first—my mom was a teacher, so the idea of earning a teaching degree seemed natural. But I quickly discovered I didn’t want to teach—I wanted to counsel. So I pivoted and earned my degree in counseling instead, officially closing the door on law school.

What followed was a beautiful chapter: 13 years as a mental health therapist in higher education. I achieved dreams I hadn’t even known to dream. I became one of the youngest Presidents of the Kansas Counseling Association, traveled the country, became a Gallup Strengths Advocate, and felt deeply fulfilled in my work.  Then, Kansas changed a rule—school counselors no longer needed prior teaching experience. So I returned to school, earned a third degree, and entered the world of K-12 counseling. I call those years my “college to kindergarten” phase. There were more similarities between the two than I expected! But most importantly, it was exactly the change I needed. A new garden to bloom in.

After six years, I felt called back to community mental health. Every role I’d held up to that point had prepared me for the next. I became a department director, leading an incredible team. On paper, it was the peak of my career.  But after three years in administration, I found myself missing the heart of the work. I didn’t want to manage—I wanted to counsel. Life has a funny way of coming full circle.

So here I am. Back in the garden where I first started blooming.  Wherever you are in your journey right now, I hope you’ll remember this: Bloom where you are planted. Fertilize your soil with gratitude and positivity. But don’t be afraid to seek out a new garden when the time is right. Because sometimes, blooming means growing somewhere new.  And that’s okay.