I mowed the 1-acre flower field

Do you see me there in the middle of the ❤️ ? I’m that tiny black mark just below to the left of the tractor. This is the 1-acre field, and the weeds were getting out of control, reaching almost as high as 4 feet. I did this all freestyle on the tractor - no hand weeders yet. I’ll clean it up as it’s only a sketch of what is about to come for Spring 2025 for the metaflorasis! art project! Thank you to those who have already sponsored!

I have also added another option to sponsor a flower by including a “certificate” that we will mail to you by Spring 2025, so you or your dedicated sponsor name will receive a physical certificate.

This happened yesterday evening...

When my mom passed away, I would sense her through nature, especially when it came to rainbows and insanely out-of-this-world colorful sunrises and sunset skies. Last year, on her 9th death anniversary, when my family and I were celebrating, a little bird was making loud but beautiful chirping sounds right outside the home, and my oldest sister cried, 'That's mom.' I know that people who have had close ones pass away often experience similar feelings, which I can only try to describe. Last night was no exception. I was outside, transplanting nasturtium seedlings around my greenhouse, thinking about how this was the first step towards the Metaflorasis! art project. I don’t know what drew me to do this, as to be honest, I had so many other things that were of higher priority at the time, but something just told me to transplant them now. Right after I finished transplanting, the sky turned insanely pink and purple, and I couldn’t help but head to the Metaflorasis! flower field and just plop my butt on the ground and admire the sky and take in that beautiful fleeting moment.

Fuzzy image as I took a snapshot from a video of the nasturtium seedlings I had just finished transplanting.

The birth of Metaflorasis!

Metaflorasis! What is it, and how did it come to be? It’s part of an evolutionary process for me. Over the past 12-plus years, while cooking for people with chronic illnesses and postpartum moms, I've connected firsthand with what people are going through beyond their illnesses. I get to know what makes them happy and, especially, what makes them struggle.

It's funny how, at one time in my life at a very young age, I thought life would get easier, when it’s actually quite the opposite. Life is like the video game Donkey Kong—I won’t apologize; Atari was my video console growing up, and I don’t play many other video games (I digress)… Basically, life is like Donkey Kong. The first level is simple, and every level I pass, Donkey Kong keeps throwing barrels faster and faster, and the obstacles get more and more dangerous. It’s more challenging, but then it’s also more rewarding when accomplished.

Life is one big practice to prepare us to deal with the future inevitable struggles. And this pain will either make us or break us.

So, even though nutrition and fitness play a vital role in true overall wellness, I can’t continue denying how much our mental state does as well. We can no longer dismiss this, especially right now in our current state of the economy where everything is getting crazy expensive. Economic struggle is real. Mental struggles are real. Our eating and sleeping habits are mostly side effects of our mental health, economic status and lack of education.

And that is why I want to dedicate this 1-acre field on my farmstead to grow flowers built by internet strangers around the world to all share our struggles and, from it, instead of allowing it to break us, collectively, create something beautiful.