Early in the mornings, mid day on a Saturday, or in the evenings, Goldi’s light is on in her room and all is quiet. It used to be that I heard voices coming from the closed door. Some had a southern cowboy like accent. Some were “Pride and Prejudice proper”. Sometimes I heard a common sense sweet princess breathy voice calming the conversation with “Well, it’s all going to turn out fine.” At times, I had to convince myself that no one was with her. I heard voices so different that I could have easily believed there was a room full of people of all walks of life talking to her . Now, behind the closed door, sometimes with a room light on, and sometimes with the sun peeking in, it is quiet. I can’t even hear breathing.

One day when Goldi was still at school, I decided to find out what happens in the quiet. Underneath a wide desk, is a shelf of sketchbooks. I picked one up and began to turn the pages. I met so many characters. Too many to count. There were boys, girls, animals, and even foods dressed to look like people. Now, I will admit that SOME of the drawings were made while watching a drawing video. But Goldie always added HER touch. She put an extra eyelash, flower cheeked tattoo, or some big wide open arms ready to hug.

I wanted to meet every character. I wanted to hear their voice and for them to voice their take on life. But only Goldi knows them. Even without a word from either of them she knew them. She knew how to make them so that one day perhaps they would be seen by someone else. Yet not just seen but live in the heart of someone else.

So, to give these loved ones a little help. We added more life. We gave them a scene and we gave them a story.

And then we shared them with others. And people can use them to tell their own story or simply do what these characters did upon first sight. They smiled and said: “Hello.”