The little child inside me believes in fairies and dragons

and all manner of wondrous things that fly through the sky.

The little child inside me believes I am as brave as a warrior

and can stand up to the mightiest beast and win.

The little child inside me believes that all my tomorrows

will be filled with goodness and happiness.

The little child inside me smiles most frequently

And loves most deeply!

The little child inside me believes that all the people she meets

will be enchanted with love in their hearts.

The little child inside me believes rainbows are the true colors of our being –

radiant with all shades for all people and living things.

The little child inside me believes in magic.

The grown-up me occasionally thinks about magic, fairies and dragons

but forgets how real they can be, consigning them to an imaginary place.

The grown-up me wants to keep believing and being brave,

but has found life sometimes so scary she forgets how to be brave.

The grown-up me worries about tomorrow

and forgets to remember it can be filled with happiness.

The grown-up me has met many people

and sometimes forgets to remind herself that there is love in their hearts too.

The grown-up me still sees rainbows and stars shining in the skies above, but lately sometimes doesn’t see that all the colors are still beautiful and all the stars still shine as brightly as ever.

The little child inside of me reminds the grown-up me of what she believes in her heart.

The grown-up me hopes she will not forget and will continue to believe

… in the little child inside me.

Penny L Howe, 2016

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