A sunrise and a lion
The morning light peeked through the window, lighting Joyce McCullough’s desk in golden tones as she sat calmly with her pen hovering over the paper. Outside, daffodils swayed in the wind as their yellow ribbons of hope danced against the chill spring air. Her mother had loved mornings like these. With the bright sunrise and her stuffed lion with a yellow ribbon around its neck in view, McCullough began to write; love, grief, and hope guide her pen.
As a child, McCullough remembered watching her mother sew beautiful clothes for the family and intricate outfits for Barbie dolls. Her hands never seemed to rest; they were always busy creating something new. But more than her skills with a needle or her garden full of bright flowers, her mother’s real artistry was found in the way love and faith emanated from their home.
“She taught my sister and me to be loving and kind to others,” McCullough recalled, though she admitted that she sometimes needed reminders when it came to being kind to her sister.
A bank teller by trade, McCullough’s mother was a strong, creative woman at heart. As a child, McCullough often found herself captivated by the imaginative worlds her mother brought to life through storytelling. These moments may have planted the seeds for her future as an author.
Her mother’s strength was tested in ways no one could have foreseen. After the unexpected loss of McCullough’s father, she pressed on faithfully and showered her daughters with love and peace as best she could. But when cancer came into their lives, even her mother’s courage couldn’t shield the family from the pain of the battle ahead. Her mother lost the battle to cancer, but she won the victory by raising two wonderful daughters who would continue to honor her legacy.
“Even though I questioned why God did not heal my mother’s cancer, my sister encouraged me then and continues to reassure me today that God chose to heal our mother in heaven.”
These words, though comforting, didn’t ease all the grief. Yet, over time, they became the basis of the hope McCullough sought to weave into the pages of her children’s book, a tribute to her mother and the faith that carried her through life.
The lion and the ribbons
After her mother’s death, McCullough and her sister received a stuffed lion with a yellow ribbon tied around its neck, a gift from her mother’s co-workers. They said it reminded them of their mother’s courage and her beautiful hair. For McCullough, the lion became a symbol.
“I saw the symbolism in that lion,” she said, explaining how it inspired her to write a story about seasons of life and the signs of hope we find along the way.
In her original draft, the mother lion encouraged her cubs to look for yellow ribbons in spring in the bright daffodils and forsythia blossoms. Later, the yellow ribbons became pink ones, represented by roses and rhododendrons, to represent breast cancer awareness. McCullough didn’t want to write a sad story for children, so she left out the part about the mother lion dying.
“I wanted to end it on a hopeful note without saying the lion had died,” she explained.
But her publisher encouraged her to include the lion’s death and frame it within the promise of eternal life. Though hesitant at first, McCullough now sees the wisdom in her publisher’s suggestion. Readers have reached out to her, expressing how the story resonated deeply with their own experiences of loss.
One of McCullough’s former students, now an adult, wrote this review on Amazon: “This is the book I needed as a child who lost her mother to cancer. I never knew my 10th-grade English teacher would still be teaching me lessons at the age of 37 and helping heal things through a children’s story.”
That single review affirmed for McCullough that her story wasn’t just a personal tribute but a source of healing and something they could resonate with spiritually.
Faith, writing, and an influential life
As an English teacher, McCullough spent decades inspiring her students’ love of language and storytelling. She taught them to find meaning in metaphors and symbolism — all lessons that now influence her own writing. Her mother’s faith and creativity flow through every word she pens, whether it’s in her children’s books or her devotional writing.
Venturing through publication had many upsides, but of course, as most ventures do, they had their own set of obstacles. For years, she faced rejection, wondering if her stories would ever find a home. But the encouragement of friends like Amy Parker and Lisa Patton kept her going. Both women, accomplished authors themselves, reminded McCullough that the path to success in writing often requires perseverance.
McCullough resonated with Amy Parker’s story, in particular. After losing her job as an editor at Thomas Nelson due to downsizing, Parker found her footing as a writer, creating children’s books that inspired faith and hope.
“She told me that story was an encouragement to not give up,” McCullough said.
Through their mentorship and the connections she’s built within the writing community, McCullough found the encouragement and relationships she needed to excel in her writing career. She has learned the value of critique groups and the importance of seeking guidance from those who’ve walked the path before. Now, with one children’s book published and another set for release in 2025, McCullough continues to share the lessons her mother instilled in her: love, hope, and eternal faith.
A message of hope
At its heart, McCullough’s children’s book is a story of hope for anyone navigating grief — especially children. It reminds readers that even in the darkest winters of life, spring always comes, bringing with it signs of renewal and reminders of everlasting love.
“The last page of the book reads, ‘Because she taught them well, they also knew God had given them pink ribbons everywhere as a reminder of His everlasting love and eternal life,’” McCullough said.
This part of the book is especially meaningful to McCullough because it carries the essence of her mother’s teachings and the faith that has carried her through different seasons of her own life.
In the future, McCullough hopes her writing will continue to inspire others. She said whether through children’s stories, devotionals, or Bible studies, her goal is to share the love of God and the light of hope.
Never, never, never give up
As she shares her story with the world, McCullough hopes to continue sharing the faith and hope that carried her through her darkest days.
In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up.”
Whenever life gets tough, hold onto the pink ribbon as a reminder that there is always hope. Seek out the small moments that bring you joy, and let love guide you through.
