Penning my Dreams

Originally written on May 10, 2010. I wrote it and never posted. Some of my thoughts now are in bold.

I've finished reading another book. While it wasn't specifically about dreams, it got me thinking. Sometimes in the midst of hardships, we lose sight of our dreams. I'm guilty of this too. Life becomes more about survival and less about living, but that's not God's best. God wants us to dream big.

I thought I'd share a few of my dreams. I want to write a book someday. I'm working on this now! Not a self-help book or a book about fashion. A book about my life experiences to show people how I’ve managed to overcome the obstacles in my life, have a better attitude about life, being grateful for what I have instead of complaining about what I don’t, and focusing on others instead of myself. But, until the time is right, I'll just keep writing my stories and sharing my memories.

I want a job doing what I love. I would love to write articles for a magazine or feature stories for a newspaper. Thankfully, my degree will give me lots of variety when it comes to job hunting. I realized after one of my media classes that I do NOT want to work for a newspaper. I'm going to be my own boss and maybe help out an organization part-time.

I want to inspire others. I don't know if that means teaching in a hospital using my experiences to help others. I would love to educate parents on how to raise a healthy and happy child in spite of their disability. I want to give them pointers on AFOs and the pitfalls to avoid. I want to let them see what a difference a loving but firmness as a parent can do for a child. I want to let them see how physical therapy can help. So many parents are lost and helpless as they navigate through parenting with a child-with or without disabilities. But you know what? At the end of the day, I'm not living my life for myself, I'm living it for God. As we all know, that is an ongoing process.

I dream of being able to share the gift of reading and writing with people in third-world countries. As I write, I think of all the mothers who would give anything to see their child get an education. Reading gives me such joy because I can be instantly transported as the page turns. Reading also opened up a wealth of knowledge for me. I didn't have to rely only on an adult's explanation of something; I could seek out the answer myself.

It's important to not let the dreams you have die. Dreams give us hope. Dreams ignite a passion within like nothing else. If you don't fulfill your dream, who will?

What are some of your dreams?