We all have moments in our life where the challenges we face become too much to handle.

It is crucial, however, to realize that changes don't always bring out the best in us...

It can bring out the worst in us, as well.

I once saw myself as a blooming flower, with many imperfections, yet still finding a way to grow.

However, my blooming flower died quickly, turning into a rotten plant that had no hope of reblooming.

How does one get there?

How does one manage to let their flower die before they realize something needs to be changed?

My flower died this summer, turning myself into a dead plant that I thought had no hope of coming back.

I wanted to cry, run away, and never talk to anyone again.

I realized, though, that going about life like that isn't the way.

I made mistakes due to my emotions getting the best of me,

And along the way, I almost lost friends.

Life really throws the most unexpected challenges your way;

While you may want to hide and ignore the issue,

You need to face reality and not let your flower die.

Continue to bloom, even if the wind seems too strong.

After a hiatus away from writing - due to personal issues that relate to this poem - I decided to come back and kick all these toxic thoughts and behaviors out of my system. I wanted to call this poem Rebirth, to talk about the good in this hiatus, but I realized that it is important to recognize the bad in it. I was a toxic person and hit my low. I wanted to deny all my recent behaviors and pretend that I was still me, even though I knew I wasn't. Throughout these past couple of months, I learned that it is okay to make mistakes - so long as you learn from them - but it is never okay to treat the people you love and care for poorly. While I have wonderful friends who forgave my actions, I could have easily lost important people in my life, simply because I let my life challenges determine my future.