Being a dreamer makes it tough to spin my way through the real world. And living in the real world makes it tough to spin my dreams.
There’s friction on each end trying to stop the wheel from turning, and I’m always struggling to find a driving force to push through.
I have words that are meant to be heard. I know it. This mind spills over with golden tales waiting to be spun. I’ve sat among the straw for years. Muddling through the mundane, sifting through the stagnated, trudging through the trite. It’s exhausting. But the wheel still spins, just waiting for that bit of magic to turn the ordinary into the extra.
And I know I’m not alone.
There’s a dreamer in all of us, hoping for someone with the magic touch to turn our straw into gold. For you, it might be that next promotion. That step up to a higher level. And I know you can’t give that up because of a few hitches in the wheel. Especially when your littles are watching.
Show of hands, right now, how many of you are completely overwhelmed by end-of-the-school-year activities. It’s crazy. Between Graduations, Walk-A-Thons, Field Days, Recitals, Playoffs, Author Shares, Concerts, and all the other wrap-up activities we are left exhausted.
I’m with you.
Of course, it’s important to take the time to celebrate the achievements of our little one’s year. But my goodness, how can we indulge when we are barely keeping our heads above water trying to keep our dreams on course?
As I sat with my daughter in her classroom, feeling completely drained, I found all the reason I needed.
I’ve spent the last month trying to balance my writing, kids’ sports, homelife, work, and PTO activities. I stretched myself so much that I felt utterly transparent. Being spread this thin, who would ever notice the efforts to keep my dream alive?
My Girl. That’s who.
When I walked into her Author’s day, she proudly showed me her dedication:
“I dedicate my third grade writing portfolio to my Mom because she’s a writer and never gives up so I did not either. Thank you Mom!”
No note from any NYC literary agent or Big Five editor could ever give me the encouragement that this girl gave to me that morning from her small-town third grade classroom.
In the chaos, the times when we lose sight of ourselves, we forget who’s watching us meld these fibers into a worthy substance. While these days of endless activities have us sifting through straw, it’s so important to realize that our littles are focusing on one steadfast point. Us. Their parents. And we owe it to them to turn through the hitches.
Sifting through the straw may feel like a hopeless venture, but my goodness, when we stop and realize who’s watching, we just may find that they hold the magic to spin it all into gold…