Growing Through Advent: Preparing Our Hearts as We Watch Something Bloom

-A personal reflection – Donna Letier, Co-Founder Gardenuity

Advent has always been one of my favorite seasons — surprisingly so, considering I’ve spent the better part of 40 years in retail, where the holidays swirl with deadlines, long days, and endless to-dos. But maybe that’s exactly why Advent feels so sacred to me.

In the middle of the busyness, Advent becomes my invitation to pause — to step out of the rush, quiet my spirit, and make room for what matters. Over the years, a simple amaryllis bulb has become one of my most meaningful companions through the season. For me, this slow ritual has grown into a quiet Advent amaryllis tradition that centers my days.

While Advent is a Christian tradition, its rhythm of pausing, preparing, and finding hope in small moments is something I believe every heart can appreciate.

What Advent Really Is

Advent, in the Christian tradition, is the four-week period leading up to Christmas.
It’s a season of:

• preparation
• anticipation
• reflection
• hope

It’s not about rushing toward Christmas — it’s about preparing our hearts for it.

Why an Amaryllis Is the Perfect Advent Companion

You set the bulb somewhere it can see the light.
You wait.
You watch.

Slowly — often in ways you don’t notice until suddenly you do — the bloom begins to rise. There is nothing hurried or forced about it. It is simply a quiet unfolding, the same way God often works in us.

This simple practice — watching a flower rise day by day — has become a cherished part of my Advent amaryllis tradition.

From Calendars to a New Kind of Countdown

Growing up, my mom always bought Advent calendars for my sister and me. The paper ones with tiny windows you opened each day. Simple, but magical — a daily reminder that Christmas was getting closer one small moment at a time.

Today, many families have adopted “Elf on the Shelf” or similar traditions.

But lately I’ve been wondering:

What if watching an amaryllis grow became a new Advent tradition?
A countdown rooted not in mischief or treats, but in:

• quiet anticipation
• presence
• noticing
• slowing down

Each day offers its own “window” to open:

• a little more height
• a bud emerging
• a hint of color at the edges

Not a countdown of distractions — a countdown of becoming.

A simple ritual anyone can adopt — a rhythm every heart can hold.

A Spiritual Practice Hidden in Plain Sight

The holidays can be joyful and overwhelming all at once. Between gatherings, commitments, celebrations, grief, and life’s daily whirlwind, it’s easy to lose sight of what Advent is meant to be:

a season of sacred slowing.

Watching an amaryllis grow gives some of that back.
Each small change becomes its own devotion —
a pause,
a breath,
a reminder that God is still moving, still growing things in you, still bringing beauty from places that once looked dormant.

The Wellness in the Waiting

Modern science now echoes what Scripture has shown us for generations — stillness restores us, beauty heals us, and creation calms the mind and heart.

Watching a flower bloom can:

• reduce stress
• soothe anxious thoughts
• support cognitive health
• invite gratitude
• encourage daily presence

These small moments of noticing make room inside us. That’s the heart of Advent. This is why growing an amaryllis can be such a meaningful Advent amaryllis tradition.

Watching something bloom becomes a daily ritual of preparing space for hope, rest, and joy.

A Blessing for the Season

Here is the reflection that has stayed with me this year:

“When we pause, we make room for the quiet blessings — the ones that grow slowly, steadily, and in God’s perfect timing.”

That’s the spirit of Advent.
That’s the gift of the amaryllis.
And that’s the invitation waiting for each of us as the season begins.

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A Tradition Worth Beginning

If you’re looking for a simple way to mark Advent this year, consider this:

Grow something.
Watch it rise.
Let it remind you that God is near and that hope is alive.

Sometimes the most extraordinary way to prepare your heart is simply to watch something grow.