Your Mother And Mine

Today, as you surely know, is a day to honor some of the most amazing people in the world, our mothers. Whether she be your birth mom, adopted mom, foster mom, anyone who is a mother in your eyes, be sure to let her know how much she means to you today and every day. "A mother, a real mother, is the most wonderful person in the world" in the words of Wendy Darling, and I couldn't agree more.

My mom is the best mom I could ever ask for. I fondly remember her singing me "Little Ducky Duddle," or "Jesus Loves Me," if I couldn't sleep. She'd read to us, even long after we were capable of reading ourselves. She still kisses me goodnight and I hope she never feels she has to stop simply because I'm "too old for that". We never stop needing our mothers, no matter how much we might pretend we do.

As I grow older my relationship with my mom has grown and matured. She is "The helping hand that guides you along" from when you're just a baby through adulthood. For me, my mom has helped me through some really tough times that I simply wasn’t ready to deal with on my own. But with her help and guidance, I am now more prepared to handle the challenges that are bound to come up in the future.

Moms are amazing people. They have to be to put up with us, right? In the words of Wendy’s song,

"What makes mothers all that they are?

Might as well ask what makes a star

Ask your heart to tell you her worth

Your heart will say, heaven on earth

Another word for divine

Your mother and mine"

Again, simply couldn't say it any better myself! So, to all those moms, foster moms, adopted moms, friends moms who treat you like their own, aunts, grandmothers, any mother like figures out there, Happy Mothers Day! You deserve it!

 

Little Voice

You know that little voice in your head? The one that tells you to do something or not do something. Sometimes it sounds like your mother, sometimes you know it's God. And sometimes you listen and sometimes... Well sometimes you don't. Well just like all of you I have that little voice. Most of the time it's just telling me I should go somewhere or not go somewhere, whether I actually listen or not doesn't have any serious consequences. But if I had... Well if I had listened I might not have ended up regretting my decision.

My mom tells a story about that little voice in her head once telling her not to park in a specific parking spot. She didn't listen and came back out to her car to find a dent in the door. Most of the time you can laugh it off and promise to listen closer next time, no matter how ridiculous it might sound. But then there are other times when the consequences might be more than just a ding in your car door...

Sometime last month that little voice in my head told me I should text a friend of mine. See how she was doing. I hadn't talked to her in forever. She was a friend from a long time ago, another life really, so I thought it might be awkward to send her a text out of the blue. So I didn't listen, or simply forgot to since I was working at the time. Either way, I didn't... And now I will always wonder what would've happened if I had...

A few days ago I received news that no one wants to hear. She had passed away that same month.  I still can't wrap my head around it. I think I might be in shock, or simply denial. We hadn't really spoken in years, but I still prayed for her from time to time. Still fondly remembered the times we had together. I always figured our paths would cross again in the future and we had plenty of future for it to happen. Only that future was suddenly cut very short.

A while back the same thing happened. The father of a family friend. We had drifted away from the friend, but I still tried to keep in touch with his father. I wanted to hear stories of his time in the Navy and any other stories he would tell me. I hadn't checked in in a while when I heard that little voice. I never got to send the message. Days later I heard the news.

We always think we have all the time in the world, until we don't. Where do we get that idea from anyway? Years go by and things happen. Life happens. And then it's too late... I know I’m being really gloomy and serious here. Trust me, I know it doesn’t always happen that way. But the times it does certainly make me wish it never did.

I think all those little times, the ones that didn't really mean much one way or the other, were God's way of testing me to see if I was actually listening. Sometimes I was and sometimes I wasn't. Unfortunately the times I wasn't were the important times. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you never know what life will throw at you and at those around you. And if that little voice in your head tells you to do something, you should probably do it, because you might not get another chance. I know that I, for one, will be listening a lot closer from now on.

Swords and Sailing Ships

Most girls squeal about boys and movie stars, I squeal about swords, sailing ships, and castles... But then again, I am not most girls... Nor have I ever pretended to be...

Sure, I dream about the day when my Prince Charming will come and sweep me off my feet, but that is far from the only adventure I have in mind for this story. Oh no, I have renaissance festivals to go to, a pirate island where I must search for buried treasure, and several stories of my travels (both real and imaginary) to write so I may be a published author as I have dreamed to be. I will not have the story of my life be a long and boring story. No, there will be much adventuring within the pages of my book.

Girls of today are lucky. We no longer live in the time when we are expected to sit around and wait for a man to come marry us so we can have a family and the cycle goes around again. No, we have the right to find true love. And not only that, to find adventure of our own in the meantime. Yes, I plan on marrying someday and having a family, and what a grand adventure that will be! However, there is so much life to live in the meantime! So many things to do and see while I wait on God's ever so perfect timing.

As you can probably tell, my heart and mind have been filled with tales of grand adventures. The longing to embark on some such adventures is strong, but trust me, adventuring I shall go! As soon as I save up enough money that is... Perhaps a trip to Boston this summer? Back to Virginia Beach in the fall? A trip back to my beautiful island this winter? Oh the possibilities are endless! But the adventuring does not have to be far. No, perhaps a trip back in time to the Renaissance festival in the meantime. Or a treasure hunt in our local antique shops? A trip to the beach where we will pretend we are marooned on an island! A kayak trip down the winding waters of our creek, or should I say… the jungles of South America? Oh, the adventures you can go on with just a little imagination! But now I am rambling...

My point being, there is not only one ending to our story, not even one genre. Your story can be a sci-fi, mystery, self-help, drama, fantasy, romance, adventure book if you want it to be. I hope my story will be a love story, but that's not all it will be, no that's certainly not all. I will continue to squeal over my swords, sailing ships, and castles. And yes, occasionally the sailors and princes who go with them... But for now, I shall plan my next adventure!

Ship Painting By Jessica Page

Imagination

As I look outside this April morning, and find fresh snow covering the ground, I find myself lost in a daydream of beaches, palm trees, the ocean, pirates, buried treasure and daring adventures. Adventures that, as a child, were not too far away on a fine, snowless, April day. In my imagination at least. But why must we only have imaginary adventures as children? Why do I find it so much harder to let my imagination run wild now that I am an adult, when it was so effortless only a few short years ago?

Perhaps it's because I know too much now. With knowledge comes loss of childish innocence. I know, though I hate to admit it, that the pirates I read about in stories simply do not exist in today’s world, flying is only for the airplanes and birds, and finding your true love takes more time and patience than the story books would suggest. And something as children we would contribute to magic, now has a scientific explanation. The world becomes so much darker and boring when the imagination one had as a child becomes harder to come by.

As a writer, you can probably imagine how this lack of imagination might become an issue. Every day I fall deeper and deeper into reality and it has become nearly impossible to pull myself back into the imaginary worlds of my stories. I find myself criticizing the unrealistic aspects of it all and forget why I’m writing in the first place. I don't write my stories to re-tell what "realistically" happens in the world we live in. I write to give people an escape from this boring, imaginationless life. I write to give people hope that with a little faith, some hard work, (and yes, occasionally a little magic and imagination) anything is possible. Hope that life doesn’t have to be what it seems to be.

Imagination is a crazy thing. You don't need to buy anything to have it, you can be by yourself or with a group of friends, you don't have to be good at it, you just do it. Imagine what it would be like to live in a different world, a different place, to be on a daring adventure, or a relaxing vacation. And once you start imagining, you'll realize some of the things you’re imagining have become dreams. And you know the wonderful thing about dreams? Dreams have a funny way of being able to mold themselves into reality. Dreams can come true. And perhaps it won't turn out exactly as you imagined, but with some hard work and a little faith, your imagination can carry you to a whole new reality. One where life maybe isn’t quite so... Ordinary... One where the ground isn’t blanketed with fresh white snow in April...