Once Upon A Time...

As a writer, I have always been fascinated with this as the first line of most fairytales. Much of my childhood was spent reading a book that my parents purchased for me for Christmas in 1980. Walt Disney's Story Land: 55 Favorite stories adapted from Walt Disney films was, and remains, one of my prized possessions. I still have the book. Page 216 is where I found the story of Cinderella. It begins, "Once upon a time..." As a 7 year-old girl I recall curling up in my favorite quilt, that was loving created by my great-grandfather, with that book in my lap. I savored every page like they were a continuous supply of my favorite treats. My life then was unconventional for the average 7 year-old. My asthma was severe and I was often hospitalized for days and weeks at a time in order to get my breathing under control. I spent days and nights in those cold hospital rooms connected to machines, and laced with IVs in order to keep me monitored and alive. Books became my escape, and none more, than this, my favorite.

Seeing the words, "Once upon time..." was a calling card to transport me from my condition and the harsh reality of the hospital. They beckoned me to go to another place. As I read those 55 stories, I imagined myself as one of the Seven Dwarfs, as a fairy Godmother, and even and evil queen. I became those beloved characters in my mind. The words on the pages gave me permission to be anything I wanted to be, even, if for a fleeting moment. Now, as an adult, that is what I want every writing to do to the reader; transport them. If words have the power to hurt, then words also have the power to heal and can be used to open a whole new world to the reader. My desire is that every book, article, blog, or check that I write has the power to change the way someone thinks, feels, or sees themselves and others in the world. Writing is the greatest gift that we can give to one another. I need your story to transport me out of my current state, and into yours so that I can understand who you are. It is our duty to share what we know, what we've experienced, and what we believe in order to grow into the fullness of ourselves. Today is the day for you to create your own, "Once upon a time..." story.

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