Emerging from the Spin
Because sometimes, just holding on is it's own kind of miracle.
Let’s be honest-March didn’t exactly roar in like a lion, nor is it sashaying out like a gentle lamb. While much of the world is daydreaming about tulip buds and spring breezes, here in South Africa, we’re stepping into the quiet exhale of autumn-the season that whispers, “slow down, restore, breathe.” This month spun me in circles, splashed in a little mud for good measure, and then gently insisted I keep growing. And truthfully? I am-maybe not with a grin, but with grit. It’s been a season of small triumps-the kind you don’t post about, but feel deeply. The kind that remind you: you’re still becoming, even when the path feels upside down.
This month has been all about small triumphs. Not the flashy, confetti kind. The barely-noticeable-but still-standing kind. The kind that looks like making peace with your flash trigger settings or swearing out loud when your knee tweaks and clicks at the wrong moment. They’re real. They matter. And they are worth celebrating.
The Snail, the Salad Spinner, and the Surprise Mascot of March
My unexpected mascot for March? A snail.
One moment, I was rinsing in the our garden lettuce in the sink. The next, I noticed him-tiny, resilient, and somehow still hanging on to the rim of the salad spinner. He had survived the harvest, the rinse, and a full spin-dry, and was calmly making his way along the plastic as if nothing had happened.
And I thought: same, little buddy. Same.
This month hasn’t been about any grand breakthroughs-it’s been about motion. Some days, progress looked like learning one new camera setting without melting into technical despair. Other days, it was simply showing up. In spite of the wash, rinse, and spin of a torn meniscus-and the slow wait for an orthopedic appointment in April-I kept going. I kept showing up for yoga, even if my mat looked more like a creative negotiation than a flow. I modified, I adjusted, or did something entirely different. And through it all, I kept learning-inch by inch-about my camera, about myself, and about the kind of growth that doesn’t come with applause. Sometimes, growth is just…continuing. Especially when it’s at a snail’s pace.
Growth Doesn't Always Roar-Sometimes It Just Clings Quietly
Growth isn’t always about breakthroughs. Sometimes it is about consistency. Grit. A refusal to quit when everything’s spinning.
This month taught me that slow isn’t weak. And awkward isn’t wrong. It’s okay to be the person who needs to reread the same camera manual page five times/ It’s okay to sit down (literally) when your body tells you to rest. It’s even okay to laugh at yourself while you’re doing it.
Because growth doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it clings quietly to the rim of a salad spinner and says, I’m still here.”
3 Ways to Honor Small Triumphs in Daily Life
- Celebrate the Tiny Wins
Not every victory needs fireworks. Sometimes, the real win is just opening the manual (again), choosing to show up, or resisting the urge to skip yoga because you might look a little foolish. Did you take a photo you actually like? Did you try something new, even if it didn’t turn out perfect. That counts.
Make a habit of pausing to acknowledge what went “right”, however small. Write it down. Say it out loud. Give yourself a gold star if you must, Because small triumphs are the building blocks of big breakthroughs-and they deserve to be seen.
2. Let Light Find You
This isn’t about the golden hour (thought we do love that glow). Sometimes honoring growth means slowing down long enough to let light-literal or metaphorical-touch you. Sit near a window with a cup of something warm. Step outside for a five minutes and feel the way the sun plays on your skin. Watch shadows stretch, shift, and disappear.
You don’t have to chase inspiration. You can be still and let it find you.
Letting the light in-especially when you’re going through a darker season-isn’t laziness. It’s quiet bravery.
3. Honor the ‘In-Between’
We’re so often trained to celebrate the destination: the promotion, the finished painting, the transformation photo, the moment everything looks right. But there is a quiet, breathtaking beauty in what comes before-in the unfolding, the unfinished, the awkward middle.
You don’t need a camera to witness it. Maybe for you, it’s journaling the raw thoughts before clarity arrives. Or sitting with your child through a hard moment. Or lighting a candle whenever you’re unsure what to pray. These fragile, nearly-there moments? They matter.
When we honor the in-between, we give ourselves permission to be whole even when we’re still becoming. Even if you’re unsure. Even if you’re moving slowly. Even if you’re a snail on the rim of a salad spinner-still wet from the spin and holding on like a champ.
A Moment to Pause
🙏 A Gentle Prayer for the Journey
Dear God,
In the swirl of busy days and uncertain paths,
help me to remember that forward is forward—
even if it’s slow, even if it’s messy.
Teach me to honor the tiny wins,
to see beauty in the in-between,
and to keep showing up with courage and grace.
May I trust that You walk with me,
even when the way is dim,
and may I never underestimate the quiet miracle
of simply not giving up.
Amen.
Let's Celebrate Our Snail Moments Together
Have you had any ‘snail moments’ lately? The kind where you’re proud just to still be moving-even if it’s slow, messy, or less than graceful?
📸 Share your moment with us!
Post a photo or a few words in the “Seeing with Heart” Facebook group-where we honor slow growth, soulful creativity, and the quiet beauty of becoming.
Or tag me on Instagram with a photo that reflects your own quiet resilience.
👉 #SmallTriumps | #BeautifulTapestryOfLife
Clinging Is A Form of Courage, Too
We may not always bloom with brilliance, but we grow with grit-and grace. And if all we manage is to cling to the rim while life spins wildly around us, then that, dear friend, is enough.
In those moments, may we hold tightly to one another-and most of all, to our Heavenly Father, who steadies us through every turn.
With love❣️, laughter, and magic may your steps-however small-be steady and strong ~Renée
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trust in Him, and He helps me."
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