I'm a Person with Multiple Passions. Here's how they've helped me find Happiness.

I have a whole backyard of possibilities. Bought my first home to call my own. Everywhere the light touches is my kingdom. From the Soft dirt to the droplets of rain. My passion is growth. To see the new leaf of a morning glory. A sprout of a seedling. Watching my plants grow into their final form is my happiness. It brings so much joy to care for another life, so sensitive to changes. Too much water and they blacken. Not enough water, they wilt. Giving back to them gives me the strength each day to face changes in my own life. They teach me about patience and love. Each plant is a new challenge. Different care for each. The craft of starting anew. My vision of starting a garden, a thriving ground for new life. An ecosystem for birds and bees alike. I want to give back to nature, like she gave to us. And I get to do the very thing I dream about, all right here in my backyard!

I bought a house last month with my boyfriend. My dream was to always have a large backyard to create a nature paradise. I got just that and more! My yard is big enough for a small vegetable garden and a few flower beds. I began planting from seedling and watched little leaves peak through the dirt. Every time, it makes my heart race. It's beautiful to see the growth. My garden is still a work in process. I've been anxious to continue, I truly want to do everything all at once however I'm being taught patience.

It wasn't all like this though. We (my boyfriend and my kitty) lived in apartment buildings for a few good years. I loved plants but could hardly keep certain types alive. There was never enough natural lighting or space to house and nurture them. It always broke my heart to watch them wilt. I didn't quit. I still loved all plants with a passion. I kept dreaming of my lil paradise. I kept hoping for a chance. But that's just one side of me! I'm a creator.. Whether it's art, stories or planting... I need to keep my hands busy!

For a long while I was in a bad mind set. Finding the worst in myself and others. A rocky childhood and no real guidance with my life. I grow up feeling loneliness. However my void was filled with creation. Beautiful shapes of the clouds and molding clay. I felt peace.. peace with the tools I had in front of me. I felt whole with the flow of words and pieces of imagery. I wrote my very first poem in middle school and since then never stopped. I carved my imagination onto a block and painted my visions, since then I had never stopped.

There were days I had a hard time creating. I felt the weight of adulthood crushing me. My mental health declining. Those days I let my passions wilt. Those days were harder for me. It clicks, how much I need to create to fill whole. There's no judgement when I do. I feel complete. Even now as I write this… and that's the beauty of growing. I wilt and come back like a plant. Stems and Branches with many sections of who I am as a whole.

There's so much that needs to be done. Once, my garden takes off.. I'll be able to incorporate different aspects of a plant into my artworks. Beautiful canvases to place on barren walls. Highlighting the beauty of nature through my art. I will be able to write more lessons I learned in the process.

It truly pays off having your heart set on something. So my advice to you, keep your passions alive.. never give up on what makes you happy cause one day you'll have your dream. And it'll be worth every obstacle you had to jump through.