Don't give up on people. Don't give up on yourself.

Before

I believe in second chances. And throughout life, sometimes third and fourth and fifth chances. For example, my neighbor, who shares my affinity for gardening, highly insisted I uproot this broken, ugly tree. In saying so, she even glanced at the tree with a negative smirk. Yes, it was pitiful-looking, falling apart and failing. But to me it just weathered difficult storms. I knew in my heart it needed a chance to heal and so I pruned the old branches. Now just a few years later, the tree is thriving, full of life and the branches even expanded into a heart-shape as if to say "thank you." In our own lives, we have to weather storms, prune what is broken or dying and discover new life. It’s okay to get smirked at in the process, but you have to believe deep down inside that you have a chance to make it. Everyday as I work, I look at this tree outside of my window and it reminds me of this symbol of life from God's creation to not ever give up and all things can become new again.

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After