Meet the Founder

Lily Colchan | Founder of Eternal Marigold

Welcome to Eternal Marigold. My name is Lily Colchan. I’m a Lao-Thai American writer, mother, and grandmother. I was born in Laos, spent part of my childhood in Thailand, and grew up in the United States.

Eternal Marigold began after I lost my mother, Keo Chanthapho, in June 2025.

My mother and I had a complicated relationship. Growing up, there were disagreements, misunderstandings, and decisions she made that affected the direction of my life. I carried some of those feelings well into adulthood.

But when she passed away, something changed in me.

I felt an overwhelming sense of loss. Even with my children and grandchildren in my life, I felt incredibly alone. I struggled with what to do with myself and how to move forward. Losing her made me realize how much of my own life I had spent simply getting through one thing after another.

I began looking back at my relationship with her, the choices I had made, the things I regretted, and the years I could never get back.

But my reflections didn’t stop with my mother.

I began looking at the other relationships in my life, too. The people I had loved, the relationships that had ended, the disappointments I had experienced, and the choices I had made along the way.

I started questioning how I had approached love and relationships, what I had accepted from others, what I had expected of them, and how my own actions may have contributed to the way things turned out.

I began recognizing patterns in my life that I hadn’t paid much attention to before. I thought about how often I had put other people’s needs before my own, how much of myself I had given away, and how little time I had spent understanding what I truly wanted for myself.

It wasn’t about blaming anyone or regretting every decision. It was about being honest with myself, taking responsibility for my own choices, and understanding why I had lived the way I had.

Over the years, I’ve met many people. I’ve made new friends, lost friendships, and watched old connections slowly fade away. Some relationships ended because life took us in different directions. Others ended for reasons I didn’t always understand at the time.

I’ve also experienced the kind of loss that comes with death. I’ve lost siblings and other people who were important parts of my life. Each loss affected me differently, and some left me with questions and feelings that took years to understand.

Looking back, I began thinking about all these relationships and the roles they played in my life. Not just how people treated me, but how I treated them, too. The things I gave, the things I expected, the times I held on, and the times I should have let go.

I began to realize just how much of my life had been shaped by my relationships with others, and how little time I had spent really understanding my relationship with myself.

That was something I needed to change.

And that became an important part of my healing, too.

And somewhere in that reflection, I began looking at myself differently.

I thought about the little girl I once was. The one growing up in Laos and Thailand, full of curiosity, imagination, and dreams. I started remembering parts of myself that I had lost along the way.

I also began to understand my mother differently. I had already forgiven her, but after her passing, I realized there was still so much about her life that I hadn’t fully understood. I began reflecting more deeply on her sacrifices, the choices she made, and the circumstances that shaped her. I started seeing her not only as my mother, but as a woman who had lived through her own struggles, hopes, and disappointments. And through that understanding, I began looking at my own life differently, too.

That journey became The Soul Keeper’s Way.

It began as my own way of finding myself again. Through writing, reflection, mindfulness, and looking inward, I began examining how I had been living and what I needed to change.

The Soul Keeper’s Way helped keep me afloat during one of the loneliest periods of my life. It reminded me that although I couldn’t change my past or bring my mother back, I could still decide how I wanted to live the rest of my life.

I didn’t have to remain the person I had become through years of responsibilities, disappointments, and painful experiences. There were still parts of me worth rediscovering.

And I wasn’t finished living.

What I learned through that experience eventually became my book, The Soul Keeper’s Way: 44 Invitations to Heal, Rise, and Remember.

This book is deeply personal to me because it grew out of the very things I did to help myself heal. The reflections, the questions I asked myself, the memories I revisited, and the changes I began making in my life all became part of that journey. I wasn’t writing about something I had simply studied or observed. I was sharing what I had lived through and what had helped me find my way out of a very difficult place.

Those 44 invitations are rooted in my own experience of learning to understand myself, make peace with my past, and rediscover a sense of purpose. They represent the inward journey that helped me heal, rise, and remember who I was.

And I’m still standing strong today because I made that decision to look within myself and change the way I was living.

From that experience, Eternal Marigold began to take shape.

I named it in memory of my mother, who grew marigolds. What started as a personal tribute became a place where I could share my writing, preserve memories and traditions, and explore the many experiences that shape our lives.

My writing also led me to create The Little Lotus Path, a children’s book inspired by my grandsons. I wanted to share the Buddhist teachings and values that have been part of my own life in a way that young hearts could understand. Through stories about mindfulness, kindness, compassion, and everyday choices, I hope to pass along something meaningful to them and to other children who may discover the book.

Today, Eternal Marigold is about more than grief. It’s about love, family, relationships, spirituality, self-discovery, and learning to live with greater awareness and intention.

Having found healing through my own journey, I felt a desire to share what I had experienced with others. I know what it feels like to be lost, to feel alone, and to wonder how to move forward. I also know what it feels like to begin finding yourself again. If my experiences, reflections, or writing can help someone else along their own path, then sharing my story has meaning beyond my own healing.

I’m still on that journey myself. I still make mistakes, question things, and discover new perspectives. And I share those experiences because I believe we can learn a great deal from one another.

Eternal Marigold began with my mother’s passing, but The Soul Keeper’s Way helped me find my way back to life.

It is dedicated to her, with love.

Lily Colchan
Founder, Eternal Marigold

Where memory blooms forever.