Sunflower Cottage

About a month after Annie passed, our neighbors let us know they were going to sell their home.

We were not in a position to even think about buying a house.
But this one shares two sides of our backyard.

So we said yes, without really knowing what we would do with it.

The house is yellow.
Bright and cheerful.
Built in the early 1900s, full of charm.

We made plans to turn it into an Airbnb, and I named it Sunflower Cottage.

But before anything else…we prayed over that home.

We asked God to make it a place of comfort for everyone who would walk through its doors.

“Cozy”

One of Annie’s favorite ways to describe coming home was…

“cozy.”

And I can’t tell you what it has means to us to hear guest after guest use that exact same word
when they describe the cottage.

Cozy.

“This was the best Airbnb we have ever stayed in. Adorable cozy space. It was perfect.”
“We really appreciate Cheri’s warm, inviting, and cozy home to stay in while we were visiting.”

It is a quiet reminder of God’s provision.

A Bereaved Mother’s Day Gathering

This past weekend was Bereaved Mothers’ Day, and we hosted a tea at Sunflower Cottage.

Two of my neighbors helped make it possible.

One has walked this road before—
She lost her daughter ten years ago.

The other prepared and served the meal and stayed to help clean up.

It was such a gift. 

The kind of gift you only recognize when you’ve walked through shared grief.

A Table Set for Remembering

Eight mothers came.

Each one brought a photo of their child.

And one by one, we introduced them.

Their names spoken out loud. Their lives acknowledged in the room.

We lit a candle for each child remembered— a quiet, sacred moment to honor them.

Stories Shared

I had placed my grief communication cards around the tables, and as the mothers began answering the questions…

What unfolded was:

• story after story
• tears after tears
• and even some laughter

The kind that comes when someone truly understands.

A Gift in Grief

It was beautiful.

Not because it was easy, but because it was shared.

Because for a few hours…no one had to carry their grief alone.

And that is what I would call a gift in grief. 

A Question to Carry With You

As Mother’s Day approaches…

However, you’re walking into it with joy, grief, or something in between—

I want to gently ask you:

What part of who you are today has been shaped by loving your child?

Whether you are still living that out in the everyday or carrying it in a different way now, love like that changes you.

It becomes part of :

• how you see,
• how you love,
• how you move through the world.

Because they are not only part of your story…

They are part of you.

Walking with you,
Cheri ?