Hitting the Road

I’m hitting the road this week!

I’m off to Eastern Washington—Kennewick, to be exact. If you don’t know, that’s in what’s known in-state as “the tri-cities” area. It’s actually in Southeastern Washington, just over the Oregon border, beside the Columbia River. My husband is coming with me for the 8 (or so) hour drive.

Me with my fabulous event banner designed by Marjorie Schoelles of MermaidSand.com

I get to deliver a book talk on Tuesday May 24, 11am at the Affinity Living Community—“a refreshing new option for the 55+ crowd”—courtesy of my friend Kate Galbraith, director of the Kennewick community. (Check out the company website at www.affinityforliving.com) It’s quite fascinating, really—the company has communities in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington State.

I’m excited for the opportunity; and the chance to blend a bit of my life coaching message in with my usual reading and author reflection—I’m planning to teach my audience how to be Dream Keepers! As you know, it’s an essential role in my second book, Becoming Piper Pan, and I believe it’s a key function that needs filling in our society.

A Dream Keeper’s purpose is to believe without fail in the dreamer and the potential of his or her dreams. Because this is nearly impossible for parents with their focus on helping their child thrive in the “real world,” those who are in the best position to be Dream Keepers are grandparents, aunts, uncles, and perhaps teachers, librarians, and other adults in a coaching or mentor role.

Girls have a window of clarity regarding knowing who they are and what they want to do in the world at age 11 or 12—then the fog of puberty hits. Sometimes that fog doesn’t lift until she is fifty, the kids have gone, and menopause is nigh! Those are too many years to be separated from one’s true self.

Dream Keepers can help. It’s an energetic force, the keeping of dreams, it isn’t making the dreams come true—it isn’t “doing” anything. But the keeping of a child’s dreams is sacred work, without doubt. It requires kindness, love, and the ability to keep secrets.

If you’d like, I can teach you, too! Maybe after my author talk. Of course, if you’ve read Becoming Piper Pan, you know already.

Wish me luck—my vision is to charm my audience, entice them into reading the books, and send them out in the world to do good work as Dream Keepers. Oh, and also to have fun while hitting the road…

Until next week, Happy Reading and Happy Dreaming!