It's not my birthday, mine is two months long past, but this is a remnant of celebration that Senia Mae wore to school on her birthday a few weeks ago. When we placed the glamorous Happy Birthday crown upon her head she instantly transformed, as if the crown itself contained powers that made any ordinary day magical. She walked through the double glass doors with pride, her expression read, "Make way, here I come," as she sported her purple, glitter, salutary headdress indicating that today, in fact, she was the real deal, a true princess.

Since her birthday the crown has been sitting on top of a pile of mail on the right side of the mantle. It has been a crazy busy month, we've had a death in the family, have been iced in our houses for most of this week, and I am stressing about not having enough time to work on my query letter that is due to be sent out in just a few weeks.

In the meantime I am trying to fight off a sinus infection without having to get on antibiotics. Last night I decided that the saline rinse was not working fast enough, so I doused a few Q-tips with pure oregano oil and shoved them deep into my nasal cavities. Oregano is more than just a palate pleasing pizza addition, the organic pressed oil has extremely potent anti bacterial properties that are so strong they leave a deep burning sensation on the skin. It took almost ten minutes for my eyes to stop watering from the zestfulness as I finally released my death grip on the sink. When I woke up this morning, although my sinuses were a little more clear, I felt like I was recovering from a wild night of snorting lines of wasabi.

Senia Mae could tell I wasn't my usual self because I was sitting in the chair with my chin down, rubbing the space in between my eyebrows. As she and Mommy were packing up her things to go over to Grandma's house, she ran and grabbed her folding pink princess card table chair. Carefully she opened it in front of the fireplace and used it as a step stool, her little hand reaching up to the top of the mantle, quickly retracting it as she tried to hide whatever it was behind her back.

"Mama," she said as she presented the glittery birthday crown and placed it on my head, "I want you to wear this." She looked so serious and grown up with her eyebrows furrowed, her expression identical to the one I use when expressing something of utmost importance to her. "There you go," she said as she fiddled with my curls around the cheap silver headband.

"Why do you want me to wear this?" I asked.

"I think it will take your mind of the pain," she nodded to herself as she rubbed her fingers on her chin, lost in deep thought.

"So wearing this Happy Birthday crown will make my sinuses feel better?"

"Mama, just wear the crown. You will feel better I know it." Her satisfactory grin showed me that she was pleased with herself and absolutely sure that her remedy was going to be a success. Who wouldn't feel better knowing that with the addition of a crown they would instantly become a real princess? It was so adorable... her most sincere wish... I had to admit that I felt better almost immediately!