Green lily pads floating on calm water with reflections of lily pads and stems.

Mud & Lotus Stories

Stories of real life, hope and growth.

Close-up of a white lotus flower with soft focus background of green foliage.
Emily Zeiler Emily Zeiler

A Beautiful Mess

“I remember thinking, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. It is supposed to be easy, fun, light, bright, full. But I was feeling dread, heavy, scared, unsure. It was the first time I really felt let down by life. I was young and had some idealistic thoughts of what life was going to look like. Or at least what it should look like. I couldn’t imagine what could possibly come next, what with this bursting of the bubble that I thought was life?”

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Emily Zeiler Emily Zeiler

The Armor I Wear

“My shell eventually became so hard that I found myself covered in self doubt, self judgment, and just overall worry about myself and everything around me…”

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Emily Zeiler Emily Zeiler

Directionless?

“For the umpteenth day in a row I woke up and thought about the truth and what I needed to do about it…”

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