a promise to myself....

she shyly said

"my birthday is actually tomorrow, but i'm celebrating it today"

when i told her how much i loved her red tu-tu

she was tentative when i asked her if i could take her photograph

but

then when i asked her to spin around

she lit up

and

her young and very fresh teenage wings

helped her fly

i gave her one of my postcards with "happy birthday" written on it and told her if she sent me her email, i'd send her the photos.

~

last night. there she was.

~you've got mail~

it said "i'm the one that was in the red tu-tu. remember me?"

~

how could i ever forget

~

so later this year. when i turn 47. i am going to wear a red tu-tu. too

and

i'm going to spin.

around and around. as many times as i can.

and

maybe later i'll say

"remember me"

~

years ago, when my grandmother died, my mom, while cleaning out grandma's apartment, found an antique tea cup of sorts, sitting in the back corner of her refrigerator holding some kind of a liquidy leftover.

on the cup

were the etched words

'remember me'

~

and

there's not a day we have ever forgotten her

so really. when you think about it.

isn't that the only message we all want to leave behind someday.

*