--Human beings need hobbies, YOU do, and here's why--

A sweet little meteor has shot across my sky, familiar to me. It must have come by some time ago. I remember taking it in... The meteor streams between the stars writing these words:

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"Find three hobbies you love: one to make you money, one to keep you in shape, and one to be creative."

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The urging importance of this concept can be seen in another meteor that's entered my atmosphere recently. She goes by the name Melanie. On June 20th a new neighbor moved in on the first floor. Each morning when I came home from the bakery, she'd be on her front porch. I'd wave and head upstairs. Very immediately that little morning routine gave me a good feeling, even as our only visits at that point were "good morning"s and smiles, I knew that she had a warm heart. It radiated off of her, and that's when I knew that we would become great friends.

It wasn't too long before mom ran into her at the pool, and not too long after that, that she came up one Sunday morning to lounge on the balcony. The three of us chittered and chattered for a bit before mom took off to take Moose to the dog wash and throw the frisbee for him. She figured our new pal would likely get going as well, but I figured this was our "sometime soon." When mom came back three and a half hours later to find us still in our blue chairs and pajamas, chatting away, she was shocked and at the same time not surprised at all. That made for a five and a half hour visit.

She'd told me her story, that she moved here from Texas to pursue a relationship with someone she absolutely loved, that everything up until that point had fallen into place so wonderfully, and that she'd felt inspired by God to come to Utah. I knew it was true. I knew her heart was in it and after hearing her story, that she truly had been inspired.

Boy, was she strong. Melanie knew that moving here, she may not see her guy very often. She would be living miles and miles away from anyone she knew, somewhere completely different from the life she'd known, alone. And do you know what's helped her the most? Making friends and having hobbies. This wonderful woman has recently started a new business venture to keep busy and make an extra buck! Let's start with that.

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Do you understand just how expansive hobbies can be? Think about it this way: if you were to start painting, you'd release creative energy and emotion, give your mind space to decompress, solve problems, and could give your paintings away! Maybe you give them as personal and long appreciated gifts. Maybe you begin selling them. A money-making hobby has crazy benefits! It could lead you to a career path that you're absolutely in love with, that you want to spend your life doing daily, and that may bring incredible financial opportunities. Hobbies help us to be well rounded too. They keep us grounded and in perspective. When we have our sweet little hands in all these bowls of pudding, we're able to learn about all kinds of things and exposed to cultures and lessons we wouldn't know otherwise.

Don't forget about the effects hobbies have on relationships either! You see, when we spend time pursuing a passion of ours, we learn about, see, and love ourselves increasingly. We're able to take our minds off of the issues that may be facing us currently and find great solutions to important problems. We're able to put some time and space between relationships that might need it. And with that, we're able to find independence. Personally and in the lives of friends and family, I've seen this benefit of hobbies change lives. There have been times that I've been so overwhelmingly in love that all I want to do is spend every minute with my baby, but that's not sustainable. And it's writing this blog, nannying, researching all my funny little passions, going for walks with Moose, and practicing health and wellness that have given me independence.

On that note, let's mention one last thing: health hobbies. Baby darling, do you understand how important your health is? Do you understand how important your happiness is? And how much your health affects it? You've got to recognize that. You have got to understand and prioritize your body because it is the home of your soul and experience. And you've also got to understand that health is not inherently miserable, not at all. It is meant to be enjoyable. So make it enjoyable. Find what you love to do, what you can do happily forever. Find foods that you love to eat, find joy in preparing them! And find a way to move your body that you absolutely love It will change your daily experience.

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Let me simply say that I would not be at peace or happy without hobbies. I would not be the person that I am today. And I want what's best for you. My mission is to remind people of their potential and path to happiness, and to help them pursue it. So here, sweet thing, please take part in that. Please do something today that you enjoy that helps you to make some extra money, be creative, or take care of your body.

I love you. Take care <3