There once was a creature named Petunia. Petunia was a kind creature. She looked out for everyone around her while trying to spread positive outlooks on what would normally be seen as bad situations. She is there when someone is feeling sad, she is there when someone needs support, and even when someone just wants someone to talk to, she’ll be there. Every day Petunia goes out and tries her best to help others. She visits each one of her friends to make sure they’re doing okay. She watches over children when no one is around so that none of them end up hurt. Her heart is only filled with love for others. Caring for others is all she wants she ever wants to do, but does anyone do that for her?

There are always two sides to a person. One is hidden and one is shown. The side that is shown consists only of things that would be considered “okay” for everyone to see. But the side that is hidden, it is the truth of a person. They become opposites of each other, with one being filled with deception and the other being filled with honesty. This is something everyone and everything has. Even if someone says they’re an open book and that they’re not afraid to show their “true colors”, there is always a part of them that will be unknown. Every story or every side is different. Some better and some worse. For Petunia, hers was what could only be described as unexpected.

When people see Petunia or just think of her, they see her as this kind and put-together person. Which she is, but there are deeper layers. She only lets others see what she wants them to see while shaping herself to be the perfect friend. She is the perfect friend, she is everyone’s perfect friend. She is this for others, while no one is this for her. They never realize how Petunia feels. They think she is just made to be perfect and that she has no negative feelings, but she does. She feels sad and mad just like her friends do. She feels lonely, she feels weak, just like anyone else would. These are feelings that no one would ever expect to see from Petunia. She just always seemed okay. Petunia thought that the more people she helped, the closer she’d get to finding someone who would do the same for her. But she never did. That was until she found me.

I first met Petunia when I was about six years old. Now I don’t remember much from when I was that young, but Petunia I will never forget. Over the years, she has taken up many forms. She went from being an alligator to a dragon to a mermaid to a cat to whatever she has become now. All of her past forms have just mixed themselves together to create the creature she is now. Her creature isn’t specific, she’s not something that anyone could name or recognize, she’s Petunia and Petunia is extraordinary. She found me when I knew I needed her, but what I didn’t realize was that she needed me too. Petunia wasn’t just there for me, I was there for her too. Together we go on great adventures and explore anywhere we could. Climbing up trees and hiding behind bushes, Petunia and I did it all. We were both collectors, so wherever we went we would take anything we could. We would put these precious items in Petunia’s museum for others to admire and enjoy. Even though we shared our treasures, each one of them still held a great memory with them. To this day, I still have these memories. I still can picture Petunia, and even though she has moved on to helping another friend I know she is still there for me. Whenever I need her, she will come back. 

From meeting Petunia, I was able to grow and understand the people around me more. I learned to be able to tell when a friend of mine was feeling sad or down. With Petunia’s help, I was able to help them and be the friend they needed me to be. But helping others wasn’t all that Petunia taught me. She taught me that I can’t always put myself last and others first. There will be times when I need to put myself first. When I need to take care of myself before I do others. And that is okay. It will always be okay to put yourself first. This is the greatest lesson that Petunia has ever taught me. Our purpose in life is to be there for others, while also being there for ourselves.