On my walk today, looking at the icy, crystallized branches of trees and bushes through a dense, cold fog, I was reminded of why I love fractals. They’re everywhere in nature and oh-so-important. I share this because, as I was walking, feelings of sadness and disillusionment were pervasive as I thought about the state of our country right now. But, as I tuned into the zillions of fractals surrounding me, I became inspired. 

A fractal in nature represents repeating, self-similar patterns where smaller parts mirror the whole structure – think snowflakes, leaves, and cells. They exist because of the need to create a fundamental blueprint for growth and form, creating highly effective designs for survival and function… ~ from Artful Math

Let’s think about this for a moment…

• A fractal is a repeating pattern
• It mirrors a smaller part of a whole structure
• They create blueprints for growth
• They’re necessary for survival

And it got me wondering:

✨ What pattern do I want to repeat?

✨ What small act might ripple outward?

✨ What blueprint am I part of shaping?

As I trudged through the fog with a heavy heart—grieving the state of our world, our politics, our pain—I noticed something: the fractals were still there. Still forming. Still showing up. And I thought: I want to be like that.

I’m choosing love. I’m choosing trust. I’m choosing to believe in the helpers, the healers, the protectors, and the advocates who show up—again and again.

This is what creates a blueprint for growth with love and wholeness. I know that the protectors, the healers, the helpers, and the advocates will continue to show up – repeating patterns over and over. I want to model love, acceptance, fierce protection, and advocacy because what I do every day is a smaller part of a whole. And, I believe that the relationships I create, model, and teach others are necessary for survival. 

Every kind interaction, every courageous conversation, every moment of listening over lecturing, advocacy over apathy—it all matters. It all repeats. And together, we form something stronger. Something survivable. Something beautiful.

So today, I’m asking myself—and you, if you’re up for it:

• What pattern do you want to repeat?
• What part of your daily rhythm might become someone else’s reminder that safety, hope, and love are still alive?

Keep noticing the small things, friends. Once you start seeing fractals in nature, you can’t unsee them. The same is true for beauty. And for hope.