Dreams

Dreams... I think we all have them... but how many of us actually believe our dreams are attainable?  That is where we are often at fault as to the reason that we haven't reached them.  We have to have confidence and enthusiasm and faith that we can reach the impossible.  Often the thoughts may come into our minds, "I am too old to go back to school...", or "I am to afraid to ever go skydiving..."  These may seem like some simple or extreme things, but so often we use negative words such as "I cannot" or "Unable" etc.  In order to even start convincing ourselves that we can reach a dream is starting with positive thinking.  "I can" or "I am able" is the best place to start.  We often feel inadequate but with determination we can reach anything we set our minds too.
Sometimes others words may make us doubt our attainability as well.  People may say to us, "You could never do that" or "Are you out of your mind?"  Remember you are responsible for your life... no one else is.  So if you want something in life you have to reach out and take hold of that ladder and start climbing!
I often think of MLK who had a vision of unity... he had a dream and he was killed for it, but at least we can see today that he never cared what anyone thought about his dream... it was his... and he was trying to make it happen!
May you never let fear keep you from trying to reach your goal... and I am talking about positive goals!  If your dream is to help refugees, to end AIDS, to take a journey of rediscovery, to overcome a bad habit, or whatever it may be... YOU can do it, and only YOU can.

Time

I realized today that I had not truly sat down and wrote anything in my blog for several months. I wondered where that time has gone and how there has been so much happen since my last entry.  Time is much like a feather in the hands of the wind.  It goes without so much of a sound and before you know it it is gone.  During the last several months I have experienced many emotions of time.  I lost another person that was such a great part of my life.  My cousin and amazing friend September passed away one night in October at the age of 40.  She had fought the last 15 or so years with cancer and respiration difficulties but remained a positive and uplifting person.  She had many dreams that she had and many things she wanted to do but as the song says, "It ain't fair you died to young, like a story that had just begun, but death tore the pages all away...."  But as we know life does not wait on us and we find ourselves at the top of the hill on a roller coaster. We never know what life is going to bring for each one of us.
I traveled back to where I grew up for thanksgiving this year.  The memories that flood back everytime I enter that town are many.  The home I grew up in is one place i can go and feel refreshed again.  To sit there with mom and dad makes all the difference in the world.  I realize more and more how lucky I have ever been to have them as my parents!  They have always been hard workers and shown more love to us than I can express!  They taught me what it is to make it through so many experiences of life that are brought to us by the effects of time.  Every year at thanksgiving my mom would bake a special apple pie and we would take it to September because that was her favorite pie.  This year there was a void there in knowing we wouldn't be doing that this year.  Time changes everything.
We hear often that time heals all wounds... but in reality it may heal the wound but the scar will always remain.  When we think of times that have wounded us...  and we see the scars... we can ultimately think how stong we were to make it through and what we have learned from each scar.  Maybe it is painful at times when we remember certain things, but just remain positive in knowing you made it through and you are still going forward!  Climb that mountain, Swim that river, Walk those hot coals, Run that race... you are able to... make sure you do it before the clock stops!