California poppies now bloom across the walls of our Sweet Discovery Preschool. Bright orange flowers dance among colorful, abstract shapes. There is movement everywhere—curves, bursts of color, unexpected forms that seem to invite the eye to wander. The mural is joyful and energetic, and every morning it welcomes our children and families as they arrive.
For me, it is the perfect final touch. The mural was created by local artist Nina Lubarsky, whose work brought a vision to life that had been taking shape in my mind for some time. I wanted something that felt unmistakably connected to our native landscape, but also something that captured the way children see the world: with curiosity, imagination, freedom, and delight.
The inspiration came, mostly, from my twelve-year-old son, Max Balla. Max has always had a wonderful instinct for color and creativity. I found myself thinking about the way children naturally combine shapes and colors without worrying about whether they go together. They simply create. There is confidence and freedom in that kind of expression, and I wanted our mural to carry some of that spirit. Nina understood exactly what we were hoping for.
Working with her was a wonderful collaboration. California poppies became an important part of the design, connecting the preschool to the landscape we call home. Around them, bright abstract shapes create a sense of movement and possibility.
As the mural came together, I began to realize that it represented something much bigger than a beautiful piece of art. It represented the final chapter of a rebuilding process that had involved so many people. Our preschool today feels fresh and alive. We have beautiful new eco-friendly flooring, freshly painted walls, and spaces that feel welcoming, safe, and ready for children to explore. We have worked hard to create a place that is not only beautiful, but thoughtful about the environment and resilient for the future.
And then there are the poppies. They seem to say: We are here. We are growing. We are thriving. That feeling means even more to me because of a series of challenges our community faced between 2020 and 2023 with COVID, forest fires and flooding. Those three years were almost unbearable for all of us. But when I think about the challenges I can’t help but think about the beauty that came with it.
Families, teachers, friends, neighbors, and local businesses supported us all along the way. People offered their time, their resources, their encouragement, and their belief that our preschool could—and would—remain a pillar of our community. And it did.
In many ways, the experiences changed us. We had the opportunity to rethink our spaces, make more intentional choices, and build something that felt even more connected to our values and our community. The mural was the culmination of all the love and joy we felt throughout the challenges.
When I stand outside and look at those California poppies, I don’t think first about the challenges. I think about what came because of them. I think about community, children, and resilience. And I think about the remarkable capacity we have to create beauty after something has broken our hearts. The preschool is still filled with children’s voices, ideas, laughter, questions, and discoveries. Our classrooms are thriving. Our walls are bright. Our voices are singing. And outside, the poppies are blooming.
