As I sit at the Tenori House, our camp/respite, I began to think of my upcoming birthday. I was turning 57. HELP! My parents were thinking about retiring when they were reaching my age. As I was approaching what my parents would have called “the golden years”, I was feeling that my life was just beginning. How could this be? Even though my body looked different-let’s not go there- my mind, heart and spirit were not feeling older.

Where did the time go and how was it possible that my four children were grown. Not only were they grown, but I had seven grandchildren.

I was sitting in church one Sunday and was challenged to “Dare 2 Dream”. What did Pastor Buddy mean? I remember crying throughout most of his message. I was a person who dreamed and tried to make a difference in the world, but was I dreaming in a box or outside the box. Why not just dream and don’t think about a box!

When I was a teenager, I wanted to do so much with my life. Don’t get me wrong, I have had a wonderful life, full of joy, trials, pain, divorce, fear, stress, lots and lots of love and the loss of one of my children the day before his second birthday in 1974.

I began to make a list of 100 things I wanted to do before I died. The list began a little slow and I thought I would never make a list of more than 10 or 20 things. I kept a notebook with me and added things to my list.

I want to learn to speak Spanish and have never learned. Yes, you’re right, it’s on my list. I want to go to Alaska and fish. Yes, it’s on my list.

For the last five years, I believed one day I would go to Africa. Well, I realized that I didn’t even have my passport. How could I go if I didn’t even have a passport? I’m happy to say that in September it arrived and now I’m getting ready to go.

My heart has always been to make a difference in the world. How could I, one person, make a difference? If each of us decided to “Dare 2 Dream”, how would the world be different? Maybe your elderly neighbor needs to have his grass cut. We take so much for granted. What if I didn’t have my nice warm house this winter? I’m thinking about what to cook for dinner, but what about the people in my community or all across the world starving.

The Palms Of The Oasis began with a dream, and we are celebrating our 15th anniversary. In many ways, I feel we are just beginning.

throughout this year, think about reaching out to someone and remember “DARE 2 DREAM”.