Once upon a time, there lived a little princess…our princess differed from all the others.  Her gown took the form of a softball uniform, her bows a cap.  Not that we did not attempt to tame this princess. We would dress our princess in the frilliest garments and adorn her hair with fancy bows thinking of course that this is what one should do with a beauty such as this.  Our princess would have none of it.  We watched as she would kick off her shoes and pull the bows from her hair.  I can recall her devilish smile as she ran past us to capture the last bit of day light on a warm spring day.  Her laughter filled our hearts with music, to watch her rejoice in the simple pleasures that life offered made us young again.

Our princess did not live in a castle, not in the conventional sense.  Her castle was her home. Although unknown to us at the time, the riches within the walls of this castle were priceless.  One can not place a value on a smile, or a hug or a game of kickball.  There is no value set for going to sleep without a heavy heart.  Our princess filled her castle with many just like her.  Those who chose to run instead of walk and laugh instead of cry.  Now we are left with loudest most offending form of noise…silence.

Although our princesses jewels were in fact in the form of a diamond, this diamond could not be adorned by any mere mortal.  Only by those who have the desire to push themselves to excel at what they love to do are permitted to take their place on our princesses’ diamond.  Like all princesses, ours felt the sting of defeat only to return again another day determined not to fail.

Our villain does not take form in the conventional sense just as our princess did not.  This villain did not intend to crush our princess and all who loved her.  Our villain did not carry a sword or shield, yet recklessness and irresponsibility was his weapon of choice.  The outcome of ones action still carries the same blow.

Not all of those who loved the princess were injured in the conventional sense either; our villain left us with wounds that can not be healed.  There is no cure for a broken heart.  All we are left with is time, time to wonder if you consider what you have taken.  Time to wonder, if you too sleep with a heavy heart.  If you can truly imagine what a broken heart feels like.  Do you feel guilty when you laugh or smile, those who loved the princess do.

In an instant it was all taken from us, like a flash from a shooting star on a summer night.  How can so much be taken in such a short period of time?

Once upon a time, there lived a princess and we can only pray that the kingdom she lives in now is better than the one she’s left behind.  We are left with nothing more than hopes that once in a while she is allowed to visit us…..once upon a time.

...Lisa Picciano