Our Story

We (Sarah and Heather) met over a decade ago when we lived in the same neighborhood in a suburb of Orlando, Florida. Our houses faced a park where our young, homeschooled children played together in all sorts of creative ways. Our kids, ranging in age from 4 to 7 years old, made many special memories in that park while we watched them play, and we grew a special friendship sharing and talking on the park bench.

We soon discovered, beyond both being homeschooling moms, that we had so much in common. We are both passionate about education with a desire to help ALL children uncover their gifts. We are both creative thinkers who never want to stop learning, and we both share an entrepreneurial spirit.

In 2015, we opened our first Waldorf-inspired homeschool enrichment program. All four of our children attended this program and made life-long friends, creating a true connection in a short period of time. We continued to open other flourishing and beloved in-person programs over the years while planning and inspiring one another for what became Lotus & Ivy in 2021. Many ‘walk & talk’ conversations occurred over the years, both in the neighborhoods where they lived and over the phone during periods of time when we were apart. (Yes, we lived in two separate neighborhoods together!) Walking together is something we still do today even though we now live 2,000 miles apart.

Rooted in our desire for our own children, we share a philosophy to inspire life-long learning in all students and support them to develop their unique capacities and gifts through engaging, interactive, and meaningful educational experiences. Our initial connection was based on many commonalities that have since grown into a deeper connection of love and friendship that has remained after leaving that park. We continue to talk, plan, support, and inspire one another every day (personally and professionally) and are filled with joy to continue to make Lotus & Ivy a safe haven for all children to feel the freedom, confidence, and excitement to grow and learn to their fullest potential.

With a love of stories and storytelling, we co-wrote “The Lotus & The Ivy” to represent our program’s name and to share our hearts with this beautiful community of students and their families from all over the world.

The Lotus & The Ivy

by Sarah Barrett & Heather Parrish

In a small pond near the southern desert, the Lotus spends all its days. The Lotus started as a tiny seed, and up from the murk and muddy water it grew. When Lotus reached the surface, the sun smiled on the little flower and the Lotus bloomed into beauty and perfection. One blossom, pure white, and the Lotus spent its days never floating more than a few feet away from its rising place.

Next to the pond was a wall built to surround the waters, and on that wall grew the Ivy. The Ivy started out small. A human planted it there to grow and cover the brick wall in beautiful greenery. Indeed the Ivy had grown to cover the wall and could see beyond the wall to the east, west, north and south. It was present the day the Lotus bloomed from the murk, and it felt sad for the Lotus that it was trapped inside the wall. For the Lotus could not see the majestic river to the south, the sharp-peaked mountains to the east, or the dry desert to the north and west.

One day, the Ivy spoke to the Lotus and said, “Friend, let me tell you about the wonders I see on the other side of the wall. I should tell you now because I will not be here much longer. I am growing every day and will soon reach outside the wall and head toward the majestic river. Oh, what joys will I find there! I shall finally grow out beyond this humdrum pond.”

And the Lotus replied, “My roots carried me to the sun. From darkness I grew and in light I bloom.

I am what I am.

You are what you are.

Magical dust that fell from a star.”

The Ivy was perplexed and wondered how the Lotus found contentment in this tiresome place when the Ivy could see such splendor outside the wall. Over the next few days, the Ivy told the Lotus about what was on the other side of the wall. The Lotus would listen intently and at the end of the day repeat,

“I am what I am.

You are what you are.

Magical dust that fell from a star.”

One day, from the silence arose an unfamiliar sound. The Lotus and the Ivy could hear a child's laughter in the distance. The Ivy had never encountered a child before. Again, the Lotus was content in the pond where all of its life had been spent; however, the Ivy was curious and wanted to see and hear more.

Now the Ivy had grown so much it had reached the other side of the brick wall. The Ivy was filled with excitement for its new journey and spent each day growing with anticipation for what was around the next corner and over the next hill. For the Ivy was sure that reaching the river would bring great reward. Ivy was drawn to the sounds of movement rustling through the desert bushes, the melodious songs from the sky, and the child’s laughter in the distance to the south.

Ivy met other friends on its way to the river, a six-lined racerunner, a honey mesquite sapling, and a rattlesnake. One day, the Ivy came to a nicely kept yard behind a small home and in the yard was a small statue of a gnome carrying a lighting stick. The gnome had moss covered toes and wore a mysterious smile.

The Ivy stayed in the peaceful yard a while and saw a child come out to play. The child ran past the gnome, quickly patted it on the head, jumped into a big puddle and laughed when mud splashed everywhere. Ivy realized this was the child from which the laughter had come.

The child had one brown eye and one blue eye and, although the Ivy could not speak to the child like it could speak to the Lotus, the Ivy watched the child play and run and skip, day in and day out. It watched the child laugh and cry. The Ivy watched the child get hurt a couple times, and it even saw the child sleep once and wondered what the child was dreaming about.

One day the child encountered Ivy’s friend, the six-lined racerunner. Racerunner wondered why all its friends wanted to live in crevices of the rocky terrain, but Racerunner only wanted to live in the bushes. It made him sad being so different. The child understood.

And the honey mesquite sapling who never grew as tall as its ancestors. And the rattlesnake who knew it had shed its skin for the very last time. The Ivy saw many new things outside the pond and with each new friend, the Ivy grew quieter.

The child also watched the Ivy. The child saw the Ivy grow to cover more of the space where the child played and the child loved the way the Ivy grew through shady areas and sunny places. Nothing stopped the Ivy from growing.

It was the day the child came close to the Ivy near the majestic river, touched it and smiled, that the Ivy realized it was true.

“I am what I am.

You are what you are.

Magical dust that fell from a star.”

“I am what I am” poem is written by and donated to Lotus & Ivy from Sarah’s father, Alan Shope, and is included in the Copyright.