07/28/2026
What I started learning then… that played on repeat.
Don’t share, don’t communicate, don’t waste a breath explaining yourself to Person B. Not because they’re a bad person but because encouragement and criticism disguised as “concern” are two different languages, and I stopped trying to translate.
Person B never brought it up again. Not once. Not to ask how it turned out, not to see the dogs enjoying it, nothing. It just… disappeared.
Person A brought it up next time we saw each other, not because she needed to because she knew I was proud of it.
Here’s the thing people don’t always realize these little budget projects aren’t just about a cute backyard. They’re my outlet. My mental health reset. When life feels heavy, I create something with my hands, on a budget, from nothing. That $200 tepee-and-splash-pad corner wasn’t about the dogs. It was about me needing to build something good with what I had and serving a purpose at the same time.
So when someone questions how I spend my time or my money on things like this, they’re not just questioning a purchase. They’re questioning the thing that keeps me steady.
From here on out, my circle is Person A energy only. The ones who show up encouraging, even when they don’t fully get it because they understand it’s not about the tepee.
Stay Inspired,
Jasmine
