My Dream Boy

I grew up the youngest of 5 kids, and my parents were separated and my mom was raising us.  When I was 10, we moved in with my grandparents, so they became an integral part of my childhood.  My grandparents were AMAZING to say the least. In my young mind, they were IT— with the looks of movie stars when they were young and the experience that comes from years of professional, family and spiritual success — they were loved by all.  Grandmother “Francis” was known to be the consummate entertainer - she could sing, cook, entertain and was more fun than anyone on the planet. Grandad “Virgil” was, well, talk dark and handsome, wise, successful, and kind. Together, they were a dream couple, and the epitome of what I was going to have in a relationship when I grew up.  

My Grandparents, Frances and Virgil

It was no surprise to anyone who knew me, when I announced my engagement to Dave, who was tall, dark and handsome, just as I had always imagined.  He was also very smart, and little did he know, like my grandfather, he too would end up with an Ivy League education. Years have passed and just as my grandparents, we have been successful, happy, and hopelessly in love as I had always dreamed — through thick and thin, ups and downs, and all the realities of life and love.

You see, with experience and wisdom, I see and understand love differently now.  My grandparents weren’t perfect, in love or life, as nothing ever is. Similarly, my life has not been perfect, yet my commitment to my dream remains intact.  Why? Because it anchors me in love, true love, the kind that survives challenges and grows through pain.

My dream boy and I on our wedding day! July 28th, 1995

I’ve realized that dreams are real, and happily ever after is true, when we dare to believe that the life we choose to live is the manifestation of our dreams.  To put it differently, if we relentlessly commit to our dreams, then all of our life experiences will manifest our beliefs. We have the power to choose how we perceive the world around us, and how we will react to our experiences. When life doesn’t go our way, it doesn’t have to mean the end of a dream, it simply means we get to learn from an experience that is going to make us stronger, define who we are, and if we allow it, make the realization of our dreams even sweeter.

Are you holding back on love?  Have you given up on a dream? Why?  Don’t do that! Resolve today to believe in happily ever after and go after your dreams.  You may have to reframe your dream, or change your perspective, and realize that love and commitment is hard.  But it’s worth fighting for, and your dreams are attainable if you’ll only dare to have them and believe they’ll come true, at all costs, because you deserve them and are worthy of realizing your dreams.