Everything around me is bright green, a healthy green. It may be due to the past 3+ days of rain and gray clouds hiding the sun, (which promises to come back eventually with each passing summer day). That’s something that amazes me: how the darkness and the light work together to make something new, and make it grow rapidly.

Summer is about growth. Whether you’re a good ole Midwest farmer looking for your corn crop to first sprout, or a just someone looking for a positive revision in their life, this is a season of change.

I’ve had my fair share of rainy days and weeks worth of storms, and even though the clouds block everything ahead when it begins to pour, the growth and flourishing that comes from the rain produces fields of flowers and new life.

I’ve been writing for this blog over three years now, since I was a young, naive, confused 16 years-old. 19 year-old me spends a lot of time thinking/laughing/cringing at the character of 16 year old me. At how she had no idea was she wanted, or who she wanted, or where she wanted to go, or even what she wanted to do.

One thing remains consistent- my passion. The desire to write and create has never left, it has only gotten stronger with every wrong step of the way, every broken heart (mine or theirs), every good-bye and every hello. My writing is fueled by my mistakes in the past, and by the hope that I can turn the rotten weeds into beautiful and tall sunflowers.

And my first step to doing this is to dredge up the past by reposting oringial content written and published by my 16 year old self.

For the next 10 days, I will be reposting blogs in a series titled “Reflect and Flourish“, a collection of pieces from the beginning of my writing journey, with a short introduction to explain what’s going on (some are very misdirected and confusing, much like my rebellious teenager mind!)

It’s so important to take the time to reflect on the past, to understand that despite the rain, the end product soaks up every last drop in order to become a blooming, colorful creation. This series will be the physical proof that with enough time and enough change, a new and beautiful life always grows.

Best,

Madeleine