In the Neuroverse there is a tree.
It is very old.
Older than the oldest buildings.
Older than most of the stories people tell.
No one planted it.
No one remembers when it first appeared.
It simply exists.
The tree is called The FND Tree.
Its bark is thick and ancient, the way very old trees become after many, many years.
Its branches twist and stretch in ways that no one can quite predict.
The tree is not kind.
It is just there.
It simply grows.
Sometimes a person suddenly discovers something surprising.
They landed on the tree.
One moment they were living their ordinary day.
The next moment they realise they are out on a branch.
No one chooses to climb the FND Tree.
The climbing simply happens.
And once you are on it, the branches may lead to many different places.
The people who climb the FND Tree are called FND Warriors.
Not because they chose the climb.
But because they keep climbing even when the branches are difficult.
Some warriors climb slowly.
Some stop to rest.
Some days they climb a little higher.
Other days they hold tightly and wait for the branch to steady.
All of this is part of the climb.
Every branch leads somewhere different.
One branch reaches The Land of Brainfog.
In that place thoughts move slowly, and words sometimes hide behind soft clouds.
In that land the body feels very tired, even when the day has only just begun.
Another branch bends into The Land of Shake-As-You-Please.
In that place arms or legs may move even when the warrior did not ask them to.
In that land walking can feel uncertain, like stepping on a path that gently sways.
In that place the body pauses like a statue for a little while, even though the warrior inside is trying to move.
New branches can grow without warning.
The lands can change.
But the warriors keep climbing.
Sometimes children notice when someone they love is climbing the FND Tree.
Maybe it is their mummy.
Maybe their daddy.
Maybe someone else they care about very much.
Perhaps their grown-up feels very tired.
Perhaps their body moves in ways they cannot control.
Perhaps words take a little longer to arrive.
This does not mean the warrior is doing something wrong.
It simply means they are climbing.
Children cannot climb the FND Tree for someone else.
But they can do something very important.
They can be Lantern Holders.
Lantern Holders stay nearby with kindness and patience.
They say things like:
"I love you."
"Take your time."
And when the warrior finally climbs down for a while, the Lantern Holder is still there.
The FND Tree can be unpredictable.
Branches may move.
New paths may grow.
But the warriors who climb it are still the same people they have always been.
They are still loving.
Still funny.
Still themselves.
And even when a warrior is climbing the tallest branches of the FND Tree, they still love you just the same.
