Cultivating Life Like a Garden
It’s been almost two month since my last blog post. There have been a multitude of reasons, but mostly I just needed space to put things in life in order. Three Heel Clicks has been my longest running project outside of my kiddo. We are going on 9 years of writing and creating content for this little space on the internet. One thing I have learned about life is that if you force something, it doesn’t usually fit like it should. So instead of posts, I pulled back for a few minutes to get a grasp on where we would head together over the rest of the year and into the coming years. My goal and life purpose is to uplift and inspire others to be, do and have anything they want. That mission began when I realized that one of my God-given gifts was being able to teach people how to do something. Over the past year I realized God has called me to give more… not just teach-but inspire. Inspire others to find what THEY are looking to do with their life.
I’m not an expert nor a guru or anything more than a momma trying to make it through this crazy life. I’ve experienced struggles one could consider life devastating. The kind of struggles that could cause a person to throw the towel in. Divorce, death of a loved one, abuse, instability, substance issues, mental health struggles and there’s plenty more that’s been a part of these experiences. Three Heel Clicks will forever hold a place in my heart to inspire you through fashion, but the topics that will be covered as I share fashion, home interiors and beauty will include the harder stuff. The gritty things that others find awkward and uncomfortable to share about. Deep down in my heart I believe to truly inspire someone to craft a purposeful and joyful life it begins with the raw and real discussions.
Last Spring I started gardening again. I attempted gardening a few years back on my patio and the result was a graveyard of 18 massacred plants including french lavender, aloe (two aloes) and many forms of cactus. I thought I sucked at gardening and vowed to not attempt again. Right after COVID-19 hit I ended up in a very transitional place. I stayed at a friend’s home and took care of their garden for a few months while they were out of state. COVID-19 changed my life plans just as I know it did for many of you. My friend’s home gave me the space to take my time and figure it out. After years of subscribing to Martha Stewart Living and pouring over articles about roses, gardens and how to tend to soil I started putting into practice what I learned. When I left there in July I had successfully made two climbing roses bloom that hadn’t in two years and another five bushes bloom. I grew morning glories and ivy from seeds, cultivated gladiolus, lilies and hibiscus. For someone who just a few years prior killed even aloe, this was a massive success. Then, it hit me… if I can make a garden bloom with consistent watering and consistent attention… I could make my life bloom, too.
I spent countless hours talking to some of the most amazing women - women who had experienced similar things. Women who came out of hard times and rebuilt their own lives after devastating circumstances - some had come from abusive relationships, some had children born prematurely and had to be in the NICU leaving them with PTSD, some came from depression and anxiety mental health issues, some experienced substance abuse - but all of them had one thing in common… they were no longer in the same place as before. They were living in their gifts and strengths not their pasts. I believe God put those people in my life to help us rise together. To help us fight the fight of life together. I didn’t have to be alone anymore - I had a gang of people backing me up no matter what. So each day, I took another step towards the life I wanted to have and away from the life that was destroying me.
Right about that time I received a phone call. A phone call that would offer an opportunity that would allow me to carve a new path in life. I believe when we seek our God consistently, he delivers. At the beginning of COVID-19 my life resembled much of shattered glass… thousands of pieces strewn across the ground. My heart felt that way, too. It was broken. I was tired. But I had one thing I didn’t have before - I was sober. I was clear minded and so I cried out. I cried out every single day that God would show me what to do next. That he would find a place for me to go and a life I could enjoy again. There were moments I would never thought I’d laugh again. There were weeks that passed that at night tears poured out when I was alone in bed. My heart ached and my soul was weary - but I stayed sober. I literally took every single day one day at a time. Sometimes an hour at a time. Sometimes a minute at time. Isaiah 61 talks about how “he was sent to bind up the brokenhearted.” I leaned into this. That I couldn’t fix things, but I could allow God to fix them.
Over the next few months, I will be sharing more about this journey and experiences listed above. The life experiences will be interlaced them with my love for aesthetically pleasing outfits and beautiful scenery. I’ll travel as often as I can and write as much as possible because that’s what brings me the most joy and inspiration to pass on. Fill your cup with good things - plant seeds of joy and purpose. Give to others often and lovingly. Craft a life full of purpose and love. This is my mission, journey and purpose - I hope it inspires you in your everyday life.
- With all my love and gratitude - CRYSTAL