I am 27 years beyond 20. It's difficult to remember myself at that age. Time has a way of smoothing rough pavement, connecting day to scar to open book. When I look back, I see a young woman in transition, moving from childhood to adulthood, the way I move from adulthood to crone now. I can speak another language, can play banjo. I can do so many more things today than I could at 20. If I look at the knowledge I've collected, the facts and figures, honesty, none of it matters. There is only one thing I can say that I know for sure, one thing that makes a difference to me today. If I could go back in time and leave a written message for that 20-year-old woman, it would say this: Dear Birdie,
The sun rises every day. Never forget.
Love,
Someone who cares