Once upon a time, a Baby Girl was born.

She grew up among many Country Roads, in the great state of Vermont, Somewhere in Between Canada and the rest of the United States.

Her parents wished many things for her. They wished in her life that No Rain would fall, and that she would experience nothing but Peace and Love. Her mother often said, you can always Count on Me, and as they took wild road trips together she would sing to the little girl, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? (Sometimes they would even get lost, because they didn’t really know The Way).

For the early years in this young girl’s life, she was a Daydream Believer, and spent most of her days Footloose and fancy free. Life taught many harsh lessons early on, about death, loss, cancer, mortality and how sometimes you just Can’t Cry Hard Enough. Some of these experiences left her Bitter and wishing that she was Somebody Else. She cried for the people that she missed, taken too soon- often whispering to them in the dark, before she fell asleep, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. But they weren’t, and somehow the little girl and her family would have to figure out how to Float On through life without them.

In high school she was a Goody Two Shoes and hung out with a lot of Misfits (still does), but their True Colors were beautiful, and as a group they had immeasurable amounts of fun, singing together at their senior prom, I’ve Had The Time of my Life.

After Graduation, there were a lot of tears as the little girl left the state of Vermont and drove to Maine for college. But they all knew it was coming, after all, These Boots are Made For Walking. Her mother accompanied her to Maine, to help her move in and carry loads of boxes up three flights to her new dorm room. As her mother drove away, her words of wisdom “Don’t Stop Believin’” lingering in the air, the little girl who was now a young woman embarked upon a new life. She knew, if it didn’t work out, she could always return home. After all, Who Says You Can’t Go Home?

There are a lot of lessons the young woman learned in her time at college. Life is nothing but Shades of Gray and you really spend a lot of time Hanging on for Hope, especially in the early days of living on your own, when you’re really doing nothing more than Living on a Prayer and splitting a cup of ramen three ways. Her best friend moved to Maine to live with her, which was a blessing, because her best friend was always saying to the young woman I’ll Be There For You, and she was – no matter what.

College was a powerful experience. She met like-minded people, and learned that a social work career was The Only Way that felt right to her. She spent a lot of time during both her bachelors and masters degree hoping that her example would say to others – I Dare You To Move, to make a difference- to stop the routine of being little more than Ants Marching, and make a change in society.

There was several more life lessons learned during this period. Painful moments- one of them being when the young woman almost lost her Mom. One day, when her Mom was Barely Breathing, she whispered to her Mother that she would always be her Sword and Shield and begged her, pleading “Have a Little Faith in Me.” Her Mother is strong, and she survived thanks to a stubborn will to live and a lifesaving gift from the young woman’s best friend (who is always the young woman’s Bridge Over Troubled Water). The young woman also had friends in her masters program that were amazing supports during this period of time, (she often thought – hey! These are Loser(s) Like Me!)

The day that she graduated with her masters degree, her mother was there, alive and “normal.” The young woman was 26, and in her head she could think nothing more than This Is The Moment.

In this time period, she learned a lot about love, too. Good and bad. She learned about people who would hurt you (but then again Everybody Hurts), and you could do nothing more than learn the lesson and Hold On. Then, when she was 25 she met a young man. Together, they grew into A Groovy Kind of Love, and knew that they were Better Together than they would ever be apart. It became clear that this was the real deal, and the young woman thought to herself The Search is Over, and she would whisper to him in the dark after he fell fast asleep –” there is no Life After You.“

One night, the young man fell to his knees, in the corner of his kitchen where he and the young woman had just been dancing. He opened a ring box and whispered Marry Me, and in that moment the young woman cried knowing this moment was the Best of What’s Around. 6 months later, on a beautiful day in September, the young girl walked down the aisle and said I Do, knowing in her heart that With Love We Will Survive. At the reception they laughed, danced, and even took time to Walk Like An Egyptian.

The young woman went on after college to work mostly with children. She also worked with their parents, who often yelled you Can’t Change Me! But change is made in small increments, as she desperately tries to convey that despite what many adults think Children Will Listen. And although at times she finds her job Impossible, it’s not really. And there are days when she feels so elated in her work, that she can practically Defy Gravity.

The young woman and the young man live together in Maine, now often thinking to themselves – “I have Carolina On My Mind.” Because soon, they will be moving to North Carolina (which they want to do In A Big Way), with the young woman’s mother, to continue the adventure called life. They are also wishing on a Lucky Star and hoping that one day they will have a family of their own. The young woman often thinks of the baby she lost in an early miscarriage, and often whispers to this child “I wish I could Hold You in My Arms.”

Life is nothing but an open road for this young woman, who was once a little girl. She has had many Seasons of Love, times when she couldn’t pay the RENT, and times when she could barely figure out how to keep Breathing. But she is strong, she is brave, and she dares the world with her words- Send Me On My Way.

Have a Nice Day, everyone!

Sincerely, Me

The Story of my Life – Bon Jovi

Baby Girl – by Will Hoge

Country Road – by John Denver

Somewhere in Between – by Lifehouse

No Rain – Blind Melon

Peace and Love – Blessed Union of Souls

Count on Me – Tonic

Have I Told You Lately? – Rod Stewart

The Way- Fastball

Daydream Believer – The Monkees

Footloose – Kenny Loggins

Can’t Cry Hard Enough – The Williams Brothers

Somebody Else – Bleu

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again – The Phantom of the Opera

Float On – Modest Mouse

Goody Two Shoes – Adam Ant

Misfits – Third Eye Blind

True Colors – Cyndi Lauper

I’ve Had The Time of My Life – Jennifer Warner

Graduation – Vitamin C

These Boots Are Made For Walking – Nancy Sinatra

Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

Who Says You Can’t Go Home? – Bon Jovi

Shades of Gray – The Monkees

Hanging on for Hope – The New Amsterdams

Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

I’ll Be There for You – The Remberandts

I Dare You To Move – Switchfoot

The Only Way – Ellis Paul

Ants Marching – Dave Matthews Band

Barely Breathing – Duncan Sheik

Sword and Shield – Sister Hazel

Have a Little Faith in Me – John Hiatt

Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel

Loser Like Me – GLEE

This is the Moment – Jeckyll and Hyde

Everybody Hurts – REM

Hold On- Wilson Phillips

A Groovy Kind of Love – Phil Collins

Better Together – Jack Johnson

The Search is Over – Survivor

Life After You – Daughtry

Marry Me – Train

Best of What’s Around – Dave Matthews Band

September – Daughtry

I Do – Better than Ezra

(Lift) With Love We Will Survive – Flickerstick

Walk Like An Eygptian – The Bangles

Can’t Change Me – Chris Cornell

Children Will Listen – Into the Woods

Impossible – Cinderella

Defy Gravity – Wicked!

Carolina On My Mind – James Taylor

In a Big Way – Darius Rucker

Lucky Star- Madonna

Hold You In My Arms – Ray Lamontagne

Seasons of Love – RENT

RENT – RENT

Breathing – Lifehouse

Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root

Have a Nice Day – Bon Jovi

Sincerely, Me – Better Than Ezra