These hardy columbine grow and even flourish in difficult situations and can thrive with little sunlight. When experiencing trials and suffering, it can be a challenge to search for ways to prevail, to press beyond the pain of the moment.
Beauty, love, and joy can emerge, despite the emotion of an experience. I can look around and notice others who suffer similarly, who need a moment of encouragement and strength. This commonality is a unifier, and together we can continue to live in hope.
A native of Southern California, Caroline Mertens moved to Colorado as a teen. She received her B.A. in English and Secondary Education from Colorado Christian University in Denver. Her grandmother's immigration tales of adventure, love, pain, and redemption provided ample amounts of hope, grace, and literary inspiration for her debut, In Those Other Lands.
After a season of work in the Netherlands, England, and France, Caroline returned to Colorado. Over the years, she has worked as a magazine editor, a professional writer, and an assistant to a Young Life director. However, Caroline's most fulfilling career is teaching high school English and Creative Writing. She strives to encourage teenagers to read what they love, and inspires her students to engage in purposeful creative writing. Caroline is passionate about traveling, cooking Indonesian food, and exploring Colorado with her family.
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