I am from summer nights
And wishes on stars
And staying awake all night waiting for Daddy
To come home from work and tuck me in.
I’m from sweet Lipton tea on winter mornings,
Sandy silver flip flops and Banana Boat sunscreen
In a beautiful Cape May town,
And misty autumn-scented nostalgia
In villages in the Sweetwater Pine Barrens.

I’m from 80’s rock and roll
And spending every hot dreamy day
Of every short, heart racing summer
In my back yard with my best friends
Or spinning cotton candy for smiling little kids.
From covered in mosquito bites
And bruised-up, scraped-up legs.
From baking chocolate chip cookies
And picking blueberries with Mom
And those gorgeous burgundy ‘69 Camaros
At endless car shows with my Daddy.

I come from memories in photographs,
And making smiles and making fun
And hoping that it would never fade.
All of those tiny things I love,
Ballet slippers, Harry Potter, and Uno games,
Define me and make me who I am today.