Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.- Eeyore

As I was hanging out my washing a while back I looked down and noticed a pretty purple/pink flower on the ground, there where only about two or so flowers on this little plant but I thought it was very pretty. Though it was in an area you wouldn't expect it to be able to grow.

So I cleared all  the rubbish away from the plant and watered it. A few days latter I come outside to see how my little plant was going, I was shocked and saddened to see that someone had thrown a heap of dirt and junk over the top of the plant and it was nowhere to be seen... I assumed it to be dead. 

Anyway I went down stairs today and glanced over the spot where the plant use to be...

Amazingly the plant had survived and was shooting threw the dirt and junk that had been thrown on top of it, not only that it is now twice as pretty and strong as it was before the incident with even more flowers. 

This little plant, though I'm not sure if it is a flower or a weed. It fought to be alive, this little plant didn't say, 'Oh dear, life has thrown itself over me again... oh well guess I should give up.'

Nope! This plant put up a fight, got through it and is now stronger then it has ever been before.

Maybe we should be more like this plant. 

Life can be hard and it can get you down, sometimes it feels like life just got a shovel and thrown dirt and junk over the top of us... leaving us gasping for air and hoping for sunlight. 

But we need to fight back, force our way through the mess and break through. It will be hard and may take time but it is worth it... there is light at the end of the tunnel. It may be dark for now but keep pushing and you will see the beauty of the sky and sun once again. 

Also once your through you will be stronger and you will shine... its no lie, beautiful people don't just happen.

" The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Couldn't have said it better myself... but remember, you are not alone, God is by your side always loving and eager to help. 

The butterfly project.

I am not a cutter but I know many who are and who have been. Self harm is a way for people to let go of the pain they feel inside that gets too strong (and many other reasons). And there are many different types of self harm. So I want to share a little something called The Butterfly Project. I do not know who started this but I believe it can work.

The rules for the butterfly project are pretty simple;
One: When you feel like you want to cut get a pen or sharpie and draw a butterfly on yourself.
Two: Name the butterfly after a loved one or someone who really wants you to get better.
Three: You MUST let the butterfly fade naturally. No scrubbing it off.
Four: If you cut before the butterfly is gone, you've killed it. If you don’t cut, it lives.
Five: If you have more than one butterfly, cutting kills all of them.
Six: Another person may draw them on you. These butterflies are extra special.
Seven: Even if you don’t cut, feel free to draw a butterfly anyway, to show your support. 

The other day I was at the train station waiting for my train, I decided to go to the toilet, a girl came in and something didn’t seem right, as I was washing my hands a little voice came from the cubical asking for toilet paper as her arm was bleeding, I instantly asked how bad it was and if she needed help. A 14year old girl came out of the cubical and she had blood all over her white shirt and jeans, my eyes froze to her arm where the bleeding was.

I had never seen anything like it, she was clearly a self-harmer, her hole left arm was completely red and bruised from previous small sliced cuts she had done to herself, clearly she had cut herself the night before and just bumped her arm and the scabs had re-opened, they were very small cuts but they sure did bleed.  

I instantly wet some paper and helped to stop the bleeding, she was scared so I went with her to the desk where she got many funny looks from people and we got some band-aids.

I then sat with her and we chatted as I helped bandage her arm. I then noticed she had cuts all over her body. My heart went out to this young girl. We chatted about many things, manically depressed she said she was, no surprise. She was a sweet girl, just very sad and lost. During the bandaging I told her about the butterfly project and asked if it would be okay for me to draw a butterfly on her arm and sign my name to it. She agreed and all I can do is hope and pray that it helps her in some way.

I have seen and know many people who have been cutters, but that isn’t the only type of self harm, there are many. Self harm really is any way that you beat yourself up over something, you could be punishing yourself or you’re just so sad on the inside that you need to physically release the pain somehow, as it is all too much.

Either way if you are a light cutter or a heavy cutter, an emotional self harmer or a punisher towards yourself you need to find a way to stop.

I have been an emotional self harmer and I snapped myself out of that with Gods help, it took me a while and I often come back to doing it, but you need to realize when you do these things and stop yourself, because you will only destroy yourself. Maybe that’s what you want. To stop living, I have helped many through that and still do, and I have lost someone to it also.

But I am here to tell you that life can get better! You just need to give it the chance and change your thinking. I know I know it’s hard and may seem impossible but it is possible. As all things are possible through God! Ask for His help and be real about it.

There is no magic potion that can heal you, but there is a saviour who loves you dearly and it hurts Him as much as it hurts you when he see’s you self-harming. God can help you, just like he has helped me and thousands of others.

But in the end you need to work hard to get through hard times especially depression and similar things to that. And most of all you cannot do it alone, if you are too afraid to ask for the help you need then I pray that someone will come along and see your need for help.

For those who are on the hard path to get through this, well done! And please keep going!

Don’t give up and never give up on yourself! You’re worth fighting for.

There is always HOPE.

"He heals the broken hearted and binds up there wounds."

Psalm 147: 3