Pip,
The pterodactyl.
Hello sleepy explorer.
Tonight we're going to drift high into the clouds,
Past the tallest volcanoes,
Beyond the sleepy treetops of ancient forests,
All the way back in time to the days when giant creatures roamed land,
Sea,
And sky.
But our story doesn't start with a roar,
It starts with a whoosh.
Let's take a deep breath together,
Inhale slowly through your nose,
1,
2,
3,
And exhale softly through your mouth,
1,
2,
3.
Now close your eyes and imagine a shimmering sky full of stars,
And one little shadow gliding across the moon.
This is the story of Pip,
A gentle little pterodactyl with big wings and an even bigger heart.
He had a long beak,
Sparkly eyes,
And wings like a soft leather kite.
But Pip had one problem.
He didn't feel like he fit in.
The T-Rexes were all stompy and loud.
The Triceratops had awesome horns.
Even the tiny Cum Psygnathus ran in perfect packs.
But Pip,
He flew alone.
He wasn't even technically a dinosaur.
By the way,
That's a true fact.
Pterodactyls were flying reptiles,
Not dinosaurs.
They belonged to a group called pterosaurs.
See?
Science is cool.
Every time he asked the dinos to play,
They'd say,
But you're not one of us.
You fly.
It's so weird.
So Pip would flap up into the sky and whisper his feelings to the clouds.
Sometimes,
He wished he could find a place where he did belong.
A place where he could float like a feather and feel loved just as he was.
Just like the Ugly Dugling,
Pip didn't know how beautiful he truly was.
Yet.
One dusky twilight as the sun melted into orange and gold,
Pip glided over a quaint canyon and heard a tiny voice whisper on the wind.
If you don't belong below,
Perhaps you belong above?
A glowing map suddenly unfolded in the air.
A trail of stars leading up to a place called Cloud's Nest.
It shimmered near the edge of the stratosphere,
Far above any volcano or jungle.
Pip blinked.
Above the clouds?
But what if I get lost?
Or tired?
Or what if no one wants me there either?
But the stars twinkled softly and replied,
You'll never know unless you try.
Let's imagine that soft map now.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
And picture a glowing path in the sky.
Breathe out.
And float gently higher with each breath.
On his journey upward,
Pip met a few unusual friends.
A sleepy windsprite who yawned cool breezes and helped lift Pip with each flap.
A tear-shaped raindrop fairy who offered him a sip of water from a passing cloud.
And a sky moth who guided him through the dark with glowing wings.
They didn't care that he wasn't a dinosaur.
They liked his kindness,
His curiosity,
And his courage.
One said,
You remind me of Peter Pan.
You fly where others won't and you bring magic with you.
Together they floated past moonlit waterfalls made of mist and shimmering rings of Saturn flowers.
Pip started to smile.
Maybe he didn't need to be like everyone else.
Maybe flying different meant flying free.
Let's float with Pip now.
Breathe in.
And feel the air lift you.
Breathe out,
Soft and slow.
Let your body rest like a cloud.
Finally,
Pip reached Cloud's Nest,
A floating island made of spun cotton and silver vines.
Other creatures were there.
Not dinos.
Not mammals.
Not quite anything at all.
There were glowing jellybirds that pulsed like stars,
Foxes made of wind and whispers,
And little dragons who sang lullabies in colors instead of words.
And they all smiled when they saw Pip.
Welcome home,
They said.
There were no rules here about horns or claws or wings.
You were just you.
Pip had never felt so peaceful,
So still.
He wrapped his wings around himself like a blanket and sighed.
Maybe he wasn't a dinosaur,
But maybe he was exactly what the sky needed.
Every night now,
Pip glides gently between stars,
Whispering encouragement to other creatures who feel different.
He soars quietly over sleepy volcanoes.
He leaves sky drawings in the clouds for lonely little critters.
And he sometimes even visits baby dinos and tucks them in with a breeze.
And when he rests,
He lies on a bed of stardust,
Surrounded by the friends who saw him for who he truly was.
Let's lie down like Pip.
Feel your wings,
Or your arms,
Soft at your sides.
Breathe in peace.
Breathe out doubt.
You belong just like Pip,
Exactly as you are.
The sky is quiet now.
The stars have tucked themselves under velvet clouds.
And Pip,
He's dreaming too.
Maybe you'll see him tonight,
Flying gently across your dreams.
Reminding you that it's okay to be different.
It's okay to fly your own way.
And it's okay to rest.
Take one last slow breath in,
And a long,
Gentle breath out.
You are loved,
You are safe,
And you are wonderfully you.
Good night,
Love.
