Sugarlump was born 19 years ago along with my daughter, Elliot. She helped me remember the magic of little girl-ness–glitter, stickers, rainbows and coloring contests. My happy memories were scarred, however, with a deep sadness that still lingers in my heart. Being the target of a “mean girl” at age nine took away all my friends and made me a target. The thought of being tortured with terrible comments and actions made me want to quit everything–especially school, and it seemed to go on forever.

Somehow, with all that darkness, I eventually managed to find a little light inside myself. I created an imaginary world of happiness by drawing characters of kids in my class doing what they liked to do. I shared my creations by passing out notes that brought smiles that matched my character’s Little by little I was engrossed by the ripple effect that creating kindness brings.

Designing my own little world took my sadness and isolation away. I made friends with all different kids and created joy for all of us by delivering simple little notes. Pretty soon I realized that the most important thing was to love myself, be proud of what I was good at, and make others happy by sharing that joy in my heart.

Now, forty four years later, I use a computer for my characters instead of colored pencils. The simple message remains the same, but is more important than ever.