Let’s talk about why the dandelions are on my website on purpose. Not because they’re trendy. Not because they’re pretty in a polished, rose-garden kind of way. They’re there because they tell the truth. I love them and their symbolism.

I have loved dandelions since I was a little girl running barefoot in the backyard, picking dandelions in a sundress. I still want to do that. I loved getting my kids to pick them for me, too. Little hands offering something simple and bright, without ceremony or expectation.

Dandelions don’t ask to belong. They don’t wait to be invited. They grow anyway, through cracks in sidewalks, along fence lines, in places most things wouldn’t survive. People call them weeds, try to erase them, and curse them for coming back. Yet still, they return over and over again.

That persistence matters to me.

Dandelions remind me that resilience is beautiful, but sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s inconvenient. Sometimes it grows where no one planned for it to be, but it grows all the same.

The Weed With a Bad Reputation

Somehow, dandelions got labeled a problem. Lawns want perfection, uniformity, and control. Dandelions refuse all three. They pop up bright and unapologetic, disrupting the aesthetic.

But here’s the thing. Dandelions weren’t always the villain.

They were once planted intentionally, valued, and used. Every part of the plant, from the root to the leaf and flower, served a purpose. They were gathered for food, medicine, and nourishment long before they were sprayed with chemicals and written off as disposable.

That shift feels familiar. How often do we label something useless simply because it doesn’t fit the system we designed?

Quiet Medicine

Dandelions are known for supporting digestion and the liver. They help the body clear what it no longer needs. They don’t force detox. They assist it gently, steadily, and patiently.

That feels symbolic too. Healing doesn’t always arrive loudly. It often comes quietly, doing its work in the background, asking only for time and consistency. Dandelions don’t rush the process. They trust it.

They remind me that growth doesn’t have to be aggressive to be powerful.

The First to Feed

In early spring, when almost nothing else is blooming, dandelions show up. Bees rely on them. Pollinators depend on them. They provide nourishment when resources are scarce.

They are first responders.

There’s something deeply meaningful about being the one who shows up early, especially when no one is clapping yet. Dandelions don’t wait for perfect conditions. They meet the moment as it is.

That kind of usefulness, the quiet and foundational kind, is undervalued, but it’s essential.

Seeds, Stories, and Letting Go

We’ve all blown on a dandelion seed head at some point, making a wish and watching the seeds scatter into the air. It looks delicate and almost whimsical. Each seed carries intention, possibility, and a future location it hasn’t seen yet.

Dandelions don’t cling. They release.

There’s wisdom in that. Not everything we grow is meant to stay where it started. Some things are meant to travel. Some stories are meant to spread. Some chapters end not because they failed, but because they finished their job.

Why They Belong Here

There are dandelions on my website because this space is about real life. Growth that isn’t linear. Healing that isn’t Instagram-ready. Strength that doesn’t ask for approval.

This is a place for rebuilding after being uprooted. Learning from what survived, not just what succeeded. Honoring resilience without romanticizing the struggle.

Dandelions don’t pretend life is soft. They just prove survival is possible anyway. They don’t bloom for applause. They bloom because that’s what they do.

Maybe that’s the whole lesson.

One of my exes always said I always had one foot out the door and was ready to go, but really, I was ready to grow.  However, being married or in a relationship, I found it very difficult to grow. 

Disclaimer: This is personal commentary, reflection, and opinion. I don’t fact-check everything, and this is not professional advice. Please verify anything important independently and seek professional advice if needed.