Mommy, I wish you never painted my room pink.
Why weren't the walls white?
Why did you let me choose the sparkling sandcastles as my border?
I remember them glistening like my tears do now.

Mommy, I wish you never bought me glitter glue.
The stick people and animals I drew used to leap off their pages.
We danced and explored new worlds together.
Now when I look at them I see them for what they are…
Poorly drawn circles and squiggly lines.

Mommy, I wish you never mixed Snowcaps into my popcorn.
Each time my hand dove into the bowl it reemerged covered with the sweet, chocolaty surprise.
It was the highlight of every movie we watched

Looking back I see us…
Me snuggling in your warm arms with my eyes glued to the newest Disney princess.
The shade of pink in her dress reminding me of my walls and my sandcastles.

Oh! How I wish you would have leaned in and whispered the dark truth.
How I wish you would have moved the bouncy curls away from my soft ears and said
There are more colors in this world than pink and sandcastles are made of sand.