It seems I’ve always been bringing people together for a cause even when I was forced to wear a peal costume.
I just never noticed it until thumbing through an old scrapbook of years long gone.
My dream?
I originally dreamed of publishing that first book, which is still part of the plan, but since becoming hooked on blogging back in 2005, I’ve grown addicted to the idea of instant publishing – whatever your thoughts are at the moment – unedited – captured in time like a still photograph.
Then I had this hair brained idea to bring a bunch of women together to work towards one great accomplishment. Let’s self publish it on a blog. 8 sisters joined in one common goal: to let the world know it’s not too late to dream. Wow. What an original idea.
Maybe.
In flipping through old photographs – it seems this dream of mine has been there all the long. It was just waiting for me to remember it.
As the proof of this quest was laid out before me in aged photographs.
There I was as a preschooler dreaming of being a pearl and trying to convince the other four pearls that we were so damn lucky to be pearls – even if it made us look like we had big butts – or a loaded diaper with a bagel for a headpiece …
We were P E A R L S damn-it!
Girls.
We can learn to love ourselves in any outfit.
My friends simply couldn’t play in the back yard – we had to climb the tallest trees.
Girls – pose please.
Pay attention to the leaves.
Girls.
If we can climb this tree then we can climb any tree.
We can take bigger risks.
This was not to be overlooked when I became part of the elite Company and spent year after year as a snowflake with the same ballet dancers I had known since performing as pearls.
Girls.
Heads up – we are snowflakes.
We can fly anywhere and land on anything.
Standing together we are powerful.
It didn’t change by college.
There we were. The Rosenbergs department store girls.
Girls.
We learned to wear sun screen and protect each other from those things which might burn or kill us.
Then there were my roommates. I was forever coordinating where we would be going dancing. 
Time: 7:00pm
Place: My house
Destination: San Francisco Financial District.
Girls.
We can go to other cities to achieve our goals.
Men can be our friends.
And family can sometimes be fun.
Then there was Boot camp.
A place where women worked out like they were in the military.
After having children.
While still raising children.
And husbands.
We can be strong as we age.
And there it was. My whole life spent bonding with women – bravely stepping out of our shells – into new places.
I pondered.
Why haven’t I seen it?
Oh wait.
I’ve been distracted.
By this little love that came wandering into my life.
Who believed in Mickey Mouse.
Fairy tales.
And love.
So I forgot about the dreams.
Being the champion of hope.
Because he was my greatest dream materialized.
That dream became a teenager.
Convinced that life was not all Mickey Mouse and Hollywood.
I begged to differ.
For I was the woman who was told that she would probably not have any children.
Really?
Doctors – I don’t think so.
My son’s teenage angst reminded me that we need people in our lives who champion us on to our greatest dreams.
And to remind us girls –
- You can love yourself exactly where you are – even if you are shaped like a pearl.
- You can be brave and take bigger risks.
- You can join groups and change people’s lives.
- You can enjoy family and friends. Sometimes the opposite sex can be our greatest friends.
- You can grow better and stronger with age.
- Your miracle can come true.
Because I have the pearl costume pictures to prove it.
Catherine
Catherine’s dream is to make 8 Women Dream the premier online publication for women looking to change their lives. She is a published author, known for her humorous speeches on finding your dream life and blogging for fun and profit. Catherine also writes about her life as a mom at the blog, A Week in the Life of A Redhead and several online marketing publications. She would also like to be invited to speak at TED about her observations on people chasing their big dreams. Catherine posts on Sunday evenings and fills in when needed. Join me on Google+ rapieress@aol.com
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