little person, big hopes

When I was little, I believed everything. That is to say, I clung to the good things so the bad ones wouldn't hurt so much.

I believed in this gorgeous, sweet-smelling tooth fairy that collected only my teeth and built a castle out of them; she would brag to all the other tooth fairies about my great teeth.

I believed that there was nothing in the world that a sprinkly donut and some strawberry milk couldn't fix.

My cousin and I were best friends (still are), and I believed that nothing bad could ever happen to us. We had the most beautiful imaginations, and we never even needed toys to enter our imaginary world. I miss it.

I believed that my 100 stuffed animals had 'people hearts', so I told them stories, apologized for leaving the bed for school everyday, cried when they got torn or ripped, and gave them all kisses before bed.

I believed that the stars were made to hold people's secrets and hopes and dreams, and that they would release them right when you needed them back. I still tell my favorite star secrets, by habit.

Books were always my hiding place. I believed that they could protect me, take me away to a different world so I would never have to come back.

I believed that a vampire lived in my closet and waited til night to bite me. And I believed that darkness itself was a villain. I still sleep with the closet light on sometimes.

I believed that people were good, that I could take a walk and feel safe.

I believed that flowers had feelings. So I would pet them and whisper sweet things about what a great job they were doing at growing, and that they were beautiful just the way they were.

I thought that men only had mustaches if they had grandchildren...that way, children would always be able to find a grandpa if they needed help.

I believed everything that Disney movies said. Love made everything perfect.

I had an endless supply of invisible friends that were sweet and fun, the way I imagined that all real friends were.

My dad could do anything. He was the coolest, best person in the world to me.

I believed that my life was actually a movie with secret cameras, so I would pretend to be interesting and adventurous for the movie.

I had a plan in case I had to run away sometime, to get to Disneyland and live with the frogs on lilypads inside my favorite ride, Splash Mountain.

I never wanted a normal job, because I believed I would get tired of it fast. And I didn't want to get married or have kids because I wanted to be like Indiana Jones (still do).

I believed that being older would make everything better. I thought that older people had the most fun.