“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”.
– John Lennon
Some of the most famous stories ever told, the ones that leave us sobbing as the credits roll and the ones that we carry in our hearts with us forever are the ones where Romeo and Juliet miss out on a lifetime of love and happiness together, Jack from Titanic doesn’t come back (spoiler alert), and the mother from The Notebookpoints across the yard to the boy she loved but never married.
Our hearts break for the character who turns their back on their dream or misses out by being just a few seconds too late. I think these stories impact us on such a deep level because there is a part in all of us that believes in a happy ending. And when we see someone get their happy ending, it gives us faith that one day we might also find out own.
The most gripping scenes are when the hero is faced with a fork in the road, it’s a defining moment and the choice weighs heavy. The audience knows something that the hero has not been privy to and the fate of everyone else rests upon their decision. The audience is screaming out the answer that will save the day and still the character deliberates unhearing.
Every once in a while, we make decisions that change the course of our lives and set off a chain reactions in the lives of those around us.
Well today I want to tell you about a girl that made such a decision.
Once upon a time there was a girl,
Who believed in love.
She found a boy and though to herself,
That he was sent to her from above.
The girl was raised to work hard,
And she believed in it’s merit.
But some things won’t work no matter what you do,
No matter how hard you push it.
So, she grafted away but after a few short years,
She was tired and unhappy.
Was love supposed to be this way?
Did it cost you your friends and family?
But this was her lot; she saw no escape,
Not even on vacation.
She had rolled the credits on her life,
When in fact, this was just the inception.
At what point had she betrayed herself?
When was it that she had lost her voice?
She seemed so far from her hopes and dreams,
But then she remembered she had a choice.
It dawned on her that no matter what she gave,
It would never be enough.
The light in her eyes had even gone out,
When she spoke her voice sounded gruff.
One night around midnight, as the girl drove home,
She dared to wish upon a star.
Right there on her own, she looked up and sent earnest thoughts,
Through the windscreen of her car.
To her the dream was so ridiculous,
She couldn’t even say it aloud.
Take me away from here, I’ll go anywhere,
She wished without a sound.
I want a life with a man I love,
She thought in her desperation,
A love that brings out the best in me,
Not bred of insecurities and isolation.
Night passed and morning came,
The girl had forgotten all about her wish,
And for a while life rolled on by,
As if nothing were a-miss.
But all seekers do find, and her prayer was heard,
Some plans were evolving,
Even though to the girl, things looked blurred,
Inside her something was growing.
The girl knew that she could be happy,
So she made a monumental decision,
And within that moment,
At last, she began to see with full vision.
She said goodbye to the boy and to her surprise,
Had never felt so much delight.
There was light in her eyes, she was walking on air,
Not one more sleepless night!
People stopped her in the streets and asked to know her name,
This girl positively glowed!
She never turned back, she would never be the same,
And by golly it showed.
It was as if a spell had been lifted,
She felt such satisfaction,
But what the girl didn’t know,
Was that in freeing herself, she had set-off a chain reaction.
Months past and she met a man,
An old friend who had her in his sights.
The girl was careful, she said don’t get too close,
But they ended up dancing all night.
What they shared was something she had never felt before,
It came so easily.
They fell in love and moved abroad,
Where they lived happily.
So the moral of this story,
Is to dare to ask for your dream.
It’s not always about working harder,
Sometimes we need to just let things be.
The journey was not without hurdles,
The girl had no job,
But she had plenty of passion
To not use it, caused her to sob.
But in the meantime,
It was her mother who awoke,
She grabbed life by the reins and started a business,
That moved people when she spoke.
The pair worked together;
The business grew each year,
Watching people dare to step into their dreams was a great privilege,
People living beyond their fears.
Some stories aren’t over when you think they are,
So don’t roll the credits just yet,
Be your own hero, the one they’ll talk about,
You’re incredible don’t forget.
Be brave to dream the seemingly ridiculous dreams,
Because dreaming is the key.
Because the girl who decided to do just that,
Well, that girl was me.