Parenting has a May season too — a time when the seeds we’ve planted begin to show signs of life. Not fully formed. Not finished. But visible. Hopeful. Growing. Sometimes it’s a new habit taking root. Sometimes it’s a softened attitude. Sometimes it’s a moment of maturity that catches us off guard. Sometimes it’s simply the reminder that God is working beneath the surface, even when we can’t see the full picture yet.

February has a way of humbling us. The excitement of January settles, the routines we hoped would magically stick begin to wobble, and real life — the messy, noisy, beautifully ordinary life — takes center stage again. For many parents, this is the month when the goals we set feel harder to maintain and the pressure to “do it all right” starts whispering again.