Once upon a time, there was a girl I knew who lived across the street. Brown hair, brown eyes. When she smiled, I smiled. When she cried, I cried. Every single thing that ever happened to me that mattered, in some way, had to do with her. That day, we promised each other that, no matter what, that we'd always be together. It was a promise full of passion, and truth, and wisdom. It was the kind of promise that could only come from the hearts of the very young.

Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house...like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards, on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these YEARS, I still look back...with WONDER.