{THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK} there is no organization, no story line, no beginning to end, and no happy ending. some days i feel it in my neck, and some days i feel it running down my whole entire spine. that is why i speak of the backbone. it covers every area that i feel the aches and the pains, it is where body and mind align, it is the strongest, yet the weakest part of my body. my weaknesses plant the seeds and my strengths show them the light. it is when i feel no pain at all that i am reminded of growth, and yet another bud on my vertebrae that has bloomed. my backbone is a reminder of where i have been, where i am now, and where i want to be, a reminder of what i have felt, what i am feeling, and what i want to feel. i sense it, i nurture it, and i bloom-this is how i grow. here is to my long nights, shared with you through short excerpts of an ongoing journey to self-love and healing. i hope to impact you in some way. or even better, help you plant a new seed along your garden. feel that pinched nerve in the crevice of your backbone or that knot building up in your neck // you can release it here