There once was a dinosaur called the NearlyFortySaurus.

It was a rather dusty and crusty old thing. Each creak of her ageing joints could be heard throughout the land.

She used to be such an energetic beast, but now every morning the NearlyFortySaurus would glare at the TwentySomethingauruses in disgust, as they pranced about on their freshly trimmed claws with their perky little tails.

All the other dinosaurs were quite mean to the NealyFortySaurus and would laugh at how old she was. Especially the VeloShoaraptor. He would poke fun at her all day long and call her names like Grandmadactyl or Nanceratops.

But the NearlyFortySaurus would react in the only way she knew how: being the most compassionate, affectionate, Frozen-playing, lullaby-singing, multi-tasking mother on planet Earth. A future fossil the likes of which has never been seen before.

© Carl Burkitt 2017

Brief by Shoaban: “I’d like something celebrating the compassionate and affectionate side of the mother of my children, while poking fun at her nearly turning forty!”

This piece was written as a part of a fundraising project for Rethink Mental Illness, where I’m inviting people to set me any writing brief in exchange for donations.

Read all of the details here and if you’d like to get involved, email ca.burkitt@gmail.com or Tweet @CarlBurkitt!