For the last 45 days, I’ve carried a paper doll everywhere, tucked into my purse or my photo bag or riding shotgun in the car. Flat Eliza and I have seen the deserts of New Mexico, the mountains of Colorado, lakes and rivers, sun and snow, a baseball game, a state library, and a few museums. We watched winter turn to spring and back again more than a few times. And we found tulips.
If you enjoyed these posts, it was a bonus, because all the writing and all the photos and adventures had an audience of one, my great-niece, the real Eliza. That’s her on the right last year when she and her older sisters met Bella, Breeze, and me in their hometown.
The rest of this post is just for you, Eliza…
Thank you so much for sending me your Flat Eliza. I hope our adventures have shown you that it’s a big, wonderful world out there. As you get older, you’ll find your own roads and explore new places. You might see New Mexico for yourself or you might fly across the ocean and see a new country or two. Or three! Flat Eliza is bringing you a map, so keep it handy and always be on the lookout for new places to explore.
Be strong, be fearless, be bold – you have an amazing life ahead of you.
Happy 7th birthday. I love you so very much!
–Aunt Annie
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go
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