Living the Dash

There’s something I recently learned about flamingos that’s been sitting in my heart ever since. When flamingos care for their young—or for others in their group—they can begin to lose their bright pink color. Their feathers fade. They grow pale. It’s because caring takes energy, nutrients, and time. It pulls from deep reserves.

Sound familiar?

Grief, caregiving, pouring ourselves into others… it can all make us feel like we’re losing our color. Like the vibrant parts of ourselves—the joy, the creativity, the sparkle—begin to fade. It can happen slowly or all at once. And sometimes, we don’t even realize it’s happening until we look in the mirror one day and wonder where that old light went.

But here’s the beautiful part.

Over time, with rest… with gentleness… with prayer… with hope quietly working its way back in… the color returns. The pink comes back.

Not all at once. And not always in the same shade. But it comes.

This truth—that we can feel faded and still be full of love, still be worthy, still be healing—is something I’ve been holding onto lately. Especially in seasons of loss, exhaustion, or quiet aching. Especially when I feel like I’m giving everything and wondering if I’ll ever feel like me again.

So today, if you’re feeling a little pale—emotionally, spiritually, even physically—I just want to remind you: You’re not broken. You’re a flamingo in the middle of loving deeply. And your pink is still there.

It’s coming back.

🦩💗


Prayer for Finding Your Pink Again:
Dear God,
When I feel like I’ve lost my color,
like the vibrant parts of me have faded,
remind me that You are the one who restores,
who brings life back to what feels dull or drained.
Help me to trust in Your timing,
to rest in Your love,
and to know that even when I can’t see it, my pink is still there, waiting to return.
Restore what’s been poured out.
And when I can’t feel my pink, let me trust that You’re holding it for me,
until I can rise in it again.
Amen.