Scan: ♥
Texture 1: ♥
Texture 2: ♥
Brush: Obsidian Dawn

I only just saw your challenge Nichole. I'm glad you posted that reminder.

Anyway, I recently went through a really dark period of my life and I found inspiration in the character Uchiha Itachi of Naruto.

Why base such a change in my life on a character from an anime of all things?

Well, its simple. Uchiha Itachi's life was hell. He sacrificed everything about himself for the happiness of another. He suffered more than I could imagine and yet through all of that, he never wavered in his love and even died with a smile on his face.

This made me think. Everyone suffers to some degree. Some more than others. ...but how do we get through those hard times? There is a place inside each and every one of us where our happiness has rooted itself like trees with roots of steel. Our memories. All of us have memories that we cherish.

Now, whenever the darkness starts to settle in on me, I close my eyes and focus only on the happy times in my life. It lifts that heavy cloud off of my chest enough that I can breath again.

And when my time comes, I hope I too can die with a smile on my face.