Champagne and Cherries (And Lots of Codeine) — A.E. Kalli

The days of wonder and delightAre fading in the rearview mirrorThe world is not as brightAs it once appeared to be The innocence of childhoodIs lost in the maze of growing upThe simple joys of playing goodAre replaced by shades of gray The dreams of flying to the starsAre grounded by the weight of realityThe magical embarIs dimmed by the glare of facts The childhood innocence is goneBut not forgotten in the heart It's crazy how much we change throughout our lives. How many people we are. How many people we become. A child who was afraid of their parents to an adolescent who realized their parents were once children who had their own lives before us. A teenager, practically afraid to touch a boy, to an adult who tongue kisses and does other things with boys. A person we never thought we would ever be, to staring at the mirror realizing you are that person. We shapeshift so many times throughout our lives without thinking about it. It's crazy. I used to think about my younger self wondering if she would be proud of the things I've done and accomplished, but it's useless thoughts. She isn't me anymore. She didn't live the experiences I have. She doesn't have the insight I have. She doesn't know the world like I do. And that's the beauty of life. We all change in this circle of life and we will continue to change until we are gone.  I accept these changes now.  This book is not intended to promote drug consumption or opioid abuse.