I, too, felt incredible anger when things were unfair. I felt unattractive and awkward, splotchy skin and itchy red sweaters and home haircuts. I wanted to win and it mattered and when I did not win I wanted to turn the world upside down. When I remember how I felt about her, I secretly admired that she did not care what people thought of her, and I wanted to not care like that. I also wanted to live in a cool house with thousands of rooms, I wanted to discover places and people, and I wanted to be able to express my feelings with magic. At the same time, I was terrified I was like her, truly ugly on the outside and pickled bitter on the inside.

I watched an old episode and felt my preschool self come rushing in, the same connection to her as always. I feel like I have grown into her in a lot of ways. And I feel like that is okay. I don't travel by spaceship to the planet Purple, but I get to California every year and that's about the same. I can whistle pretty well. I live in an apartment that is almost as magical as the museum-go-round. And the thing I didn't see when I was little but I see clearly now: I have people who treat me with patience and kindness even when I'm quite crotchety. Even though I didn't know it, maybe that was really the attraction all along. I'm so grateful for you, toots.