The only thing that Lauryn Grace couldn’t make was her bed. She’d rather slay the fearsome dragon snarling underneath instead. Too many rocks that need a-chucking. Too many comics to be read. Too many rings that need collecting, gotta help her hedgehog friend. Then there’s the concert coming up, she’s got a wicked tune to shred. Yeah, the guitar’s a broom. So what? Brushes aren’t just made for heads. Singing straight into the bristles, loose hairs standing up on end. Who’s got the time for tucking sheets when there’s a party to attend? The finest mud pies in the city. With pinecone tea, a lovely blend. Then there’s of course the playdough spaghetti, which we highly recommend. Then after every stuffy’s stuffed, and after every friend’s been fed, a-tinkering we’ll go and build a fort in Grandpa’s shed! Not a single wall left empty, doodles decorate the stead. Christmas lights and LEDs a plenty, disco ball dangling by a thread. But chillaxing to the max can get old fast, and oh, the dread! To the water tanks it is, over desert sands we’ll tread. In a-billion degree weather, hot enough to bake some bread. Where the cactuses are jumpy, and the wildfires spread. Home of scorpions and snakes, and UV rays that make you red. The perfect place for children. Dunes were made for kids to sled! But when nighttime rolls around, and the stars are overhead, time to head on home; there’s a sleepover case that must be pled! Scary stories about monsters, Grandma’s teeth, and the undead fill the room with screams and giggles, followed by a, “GO TO BED!”. Well, the night’s not getting younger, and you heard what Sargent said. Time to head on down to Dreamland, far too weird to comprehend. And that’s exactly how she likes it. Every moment, time well spent. Among the viking werewolf pirates, where her soul’s truly content. In the morning, they must bid farewell their sensei president. Kung Fu politics will have to wait, she awakes a master chef! Bacon pancakes flipped with precision. Three gold stars, and each are Michelin. When the feeding frenzy’s finished, not a single crumb is left. With the dawning of a brand new day, she starts upon her quest. There’s a big world to explore, who knows what to expect? But whatever comes her way today, she’s ready for the test. She finds the magic inside everything, and leaves out all the rest. Now a decade and a half’s gone by, and my, the time flys fast! That’s over five thousand four hundred sunsets, and over 15 birthdays passed! Much had changed, yet much has stayed the same. Some things good, and some things bad. But despite the growing pains, she made her way and here she stands. Head still high up in the clouds, with countless dreams so big and grand. So much older now. Back then it would be hard to understand just how special, bright, and loved you were, the world inside your hands. I’m so very proud of us, there’s nothing we cannot withstand. Despite the odds stacked high against us, we braved the storms and we found land. And it’s all because you stayed with me, through fire and dark of night. You were the still, small voice inside that’s whispered, “it’s gonna be alright.”. You who view the world excitedly, through graceful, loving eyes. You who beacon me to silence when I need a place to hide. And you meet me in the middle, you remind me of the light; ever present, ever growing, radiating from inside. I see you there in every belly laugh, in each expression shaped in art. I feel you spark a child-like wonder when a song touches my heart. I sense you guiding me to truly be myself, and love each part. Thank you little me, we’ve truly been amazeballs from the start. ❤️