Hey there.

Dear Laura, This is you--as of March 17, 2006. I hope you're doing well. I hope you're getting ready to go to college in a couple of months, to get out of this town. That's what you always wanted to do, eh? Even now, that's probably what you're looking forward to more than anything in the world. Your cats are gorgeous. Right now I wonder if they even love me....I hope they're still around when I'm you. I love them dearly and I'm sure you do as well. I wonder if they'll have changed? Jinx is a bit of a grouch, but lovable...Freya, a sweet bundle of love. Cidney's just so shy it's almost painful. Still, I love all of them. Are you and Katie still together? I love her so much now, in 2006. I wonder if you're getting ready to take her to Prom with you. It'd look strange to people--a lesbian couple, at Prom. But you're older and more confident than me; you're almost eighteen. You can handle that awkwardness and turn it into something fun and beautiful. I want to go to LSU or Centenary. Your mind may or may not have changed, but I want to be there because I love Shreveport. I have to admit, it's also because I want to be close to Katie...people will call you foolish if you still decide to keep that as a reason, but don't listen to them. What's the point of going to a college that's not near someone you love? There simply isn't one. Don't let anyone tell you that you're not good enough, not creative enough, any of that. That's all bullshit. You're beautiful and perfect just as you are right at this moment. People will become more and more uncomfortable with that fact as you grow and mature into a true woman of your Mother Earth--deal with it, and know that you're loved. That, more than anything else, is most likely what you need to hear most right now. Peace, Laura