Dearest nephew,
I wish I could tell you that your life will be free of doubt, struggle, and pain; but that is not the case. No matter what road you may choose to travel I am certain that you will eventually encounter a segment shrouded in shadow where your own doubts lie in wait. Some people choose to stop their adventure when they encounter this more perilous ground; I sincerely hope you are one who decides to continue on to your final destination. To aid you in making your decision, sit on steady ground or venture into the unknown, I want to tell you the tale of a young warrior who once had to make such a decision.
There once lived a young hamadryad by the name of Neverflower the forests of Neverend. As a hamadryad Neverflower was connected,
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The grove where Neverflower grew up represents the neighborhood where I grew up. The area was extremely low income and most of the people who live there will likely never leave. In fact, people “getting out” is thought to be almost impossible since pretty much everyone who has big dreams of leaving eventually hits a roadblock and remain in the area stagnant. The thin bark is a reference to how much family criticism hurts and is used to keep people in check.
The roots of Neverflower’s tree represent my connection to family and their values. The whole that remained after the roots were removed represents the toxic environment that exists within the family. The fact that the soil was without nutrients reflects how little emotional and mental support I received from family growing up while the blood represents feelings that remaining with the family was draining away my ambition and prospects for growth.
The male fairy is supposed to be the Air Force recruiter who helped me enlist in the military, while the wood represents my enlistment. The thickening of the bark represents gaining self-esteem and self-worth. The people who left the wood represent all the people who weren’t suited for the military and should have returned home (but in reality stayed in). The fact that Neverflower’s blooms still failed to open shows how even after growing while in the military I still didn’t feel as if I could completely be