"My earliest encounters with healing were not gentle. As a teenager carrying more responsibility than my nervous system could hold, my body began speaking through pain. Eating became unbearable, and unprocessed emotions settled into my gut as illness. As a young teen mother living with irritable bowel syndrome, I cycled through countless prescribed medications that promised relief but left me feeling numb, disconnected, and increasingly distant from myself. My body survived, but my spirit felt muted.

Eventually, I turned to marijuana out of necessity, not rebellion. It was the only thing that eased my pain, restored my appetite, and grounded me back into my body. With that relief came clarity, creativity, and presence. Despite disbelief from others when I spoke my truth, my lived experience remained undeniable. This plant became a sacred entry point into my healing journey, and this piece is my way of honoring it without apology. Leaf Me Here is a declaration of self-trust, embodiment, and the quiet power of listening to one’s own body."