Natalin and the Cloud Garden

Last week, while Kyle and Sarah were away on business, Tim, Kelsey, and I got a little taste of what their everyday life looks like, and let me tell you, it took all three of us to do what they do every single day!

Between baseball practices and games, basketball practices and games, soccer practices and games, and even gymnastics, our days were full from sunrise to bedtime. By the end of the week, I had a whole new level of respect for how much heart and hustle goes into raising three busy kids.

But my favorite part of every day came when the uniforms were tossed in the laundry, the snacks were done, and it was finally time for bedtime stories. That’s when the chaos turned into calm, and the magic came out.

Tucker and Tavin, the eleven-year-old twins, are all energy and imagination. And then there’s little Natalin, five years old, full of spark and curls of gold, who just wants to play right alongside her big brothers. Sometimes that ends in laughter, sometimes in tears, but always in love.

That’s why this story is for her, a gentle reminder that feelings are okay, even the hard ones, and that they can bloom into something beautiful when we give them a little time, a little grace, and a little magic.

So tonight’s story is for my starlight girl, with curls of gold and a heart full of magic.

Nighty Night story:

There once was a little girl named Natalin who had a secret only a few people in the whole world knew, especially her Grammy.

When she was born, the stars themselves leaned a little closer to peek at her. And when Grammy held her for the first time, their eyes met, and something invisible clicked, like two puzzle pieces made from the same song. From that moment on, their hearts beat in sync, like a quiet little drum only they could hear.

Natalin was no ordinary girl. Her hair curled like wild morning sunshine. Her voice could turn into a song at any moment. And her imagination? Oh, her imagination could build whole kingdoms in the backyard, where she ruled as Princess, Mommy, Doctor, and sometimes even a flying unicorn.

But the real magic started one cloudy afternoon, just before bedtime, when Grammy tucked Natalin in and sang their special song:

“One, two, three, you and me,
Jumping in a cloud,
One, two, three…”

Natalin closed her eyes… and opened them again in the sky.

She was standing on a soft, pink cloud.

The wind was sweet, the air sparkled like glitter, and ahead of her stood a shimmering gate made entirely of floating music notes and tiny golden feathers. A sign read:

WELCOME TO THE CLOUD GARDEN
Where feelings grow into flowers.

Natalin stepped through the gate and gasped. The whole garden bloomed with flowers that changed color based on how she felt. When she giggled, bright yellow daffodils popped up. When she remembered her favorite song, bluebells chimed a soft melody. When she thought about her Daddy’s hugs, big pink roses opened their arms wide.

But then she remembered something that had happened earlier that day.

Tucker and Tavin had been playing together, and when she asked to join in, they told her she was too little. They teased her and said she was spoiled, again.

Her heart sank. The flowers around her wilted slightly, their colors fading to soft grays. The sky above the garden dimmed, just a little.

Natalin crossed her arms and turned away. She didn’t want to look at anyone or talk. Not yet.

And that was okay.

Because Grammy had told her something important once: “You don’t have to bloom all the time. Even flowers take breaks.”

So, she sat on the cloud for a while. The wind sang softly around her. And after a little bit, a tiny violet bloomed by her foot. Then another. Then another.

She took a deep breath, and when she was ready, she stood up again. “I feel better now,” she whispered.

Suddenly, a small, feathered creature zipped toward her, it looked like a mix between a bunny and a bird, with a golden harp on its back.

“Grammy sent me!” it squeaked. “You’ve unlocked the Forgiveness Flower! Not everyone can do that!”

Natalin smiled. “It’s not hard once I’m ready.”

“Would you like to sing the sky back open?” the little creature asked.

So, she sang.

“One, two, three, you and me,
Laughing in the sun,
One, two, three…
Our cloudy day is done.”

The sky bloomed with light. The garden burst into color. And at the very center of it all, a tall, glowing flower appeared, its petals were the same golden color as Natalin’s curls when the sun touched them.

She touched the petals gently.

“You’re ready,” the bunny-bird whispered. “To be a Cloud Keeper. To help feelings grow and fade and bloom again.”

“But I’m only five,” Natalin said, blinking.

“Ah,” the creature said. “But that’s exactly the right age for magic.”

Just then, a soft breeze carried a new voice across the clouds. It was Grammy, singing in the distance.

“One, two, three, you and me,
Jumping in a cloud, One, Two, Three…”

Natalin yawned. The cloud beneath her curled like a blanket. Her golden flower swayed with the wind as her eyelids fluttered closed.

Back in Grammy’s house, in the soft, early morning light, Natalin stirred beneath the covers. Her curls were a little wild, like a sleepy bird’s nest. Grammy smoothed them gently with her fingers and whispered, “Good morning, my Cloud Keeper.”

Natalin smiled but didn’t say anything yet. She wasn’t quite ready.

But when she was, she opened her eyes, wrapped her arms around Grammy, and sang,

“One, two, three, you and me,
Jumping in a cloud…”

And Grammy sang the rest… always.

PJ’s thoughts…

Watching the three of them this week reminded me that emotions are like seasons, they change, they grow, and they always come back to light. Whether we’re five or fifty, we all have cloudy days that need a little patience before the colors return.

And maybe that’s the real gift of storytelling, to remind us that love, forgiveness, and imagination are the bridges that carry us through those moments.

So wherever you are tonight, may you find your own cloud to rest on, your own story to remind you that it’s okay to pause… and that every feeling, just like every flower, has its time to bloom. -PJ Hamilton