Why do your dreams late in life matter?

You know that while my books are categorized for children, I actually wrote them for adults like myself. In that way, Piper and her Merry Band can actually be experienced as “people just like us.”

Book two, Becoming Piper Pan, centers around the struggle to learn to fly—the challenge of finding your lovely wonderful thoughts, and your dreams. How easy (or hard) is this for you? And why does it matter when you are no longer young?

When I talk (and write) about learning to be a Dream Keeper, I stress the gift you give by keeping dreams for young girls. But I don’t think I’ve spent enough time talking about why it’s so important to have and live your own dreams late in life.

Let me tell you a story:

Once upon a time, there lived a girl who was well cared for and well loved. Her mother would often say to her: “You can be anything you want when you grow up.” The girl would smile and nod, but inside she thought to herself “You have got to be kidding!” She was very intuitive, and well aware that her mother carried unhappiness on her back like a tortoise shell. How could she become anything she wanted when her mother had not? How could she grow up to be happy when she could see perfectly well what really happens when you grow up? 

Many years passed, and the girl became a young woman with a heavy tortoise shell of her own. One day, she looked up from her view of the ground to find her mother standing tall. She had thrown off her shell, gotten on a bicycle, ridden across the country, and slowly but surely, started to live her dream. 

The young woman looked at her own shell with new eyes. She suddenly realized carrying the shell was a choice, as was the other: to live her dreams. Now she could be anything she wanted when she grew up— given courage, support, dedication, and grace.

People in your life will always do what you do, not what you say. Besides the happiness you have to gain, living your dreams late in life gives others permission to do the same.

I invite you to be Dream Keepers for each other—we are never too old to need a Dream Keeper.

When my mother chose to follow her dreams, she changed my life. These days I love how she inspires me. Right now she is riding her bicycle 900 miles, with my dad assisting as SAG guy (Support and Gear guy), to attend her 60^th high school reunion. Want to follow along? Visit: www.yesithinkican.com, read about her current adventure, and give yourself the treat of signing up to get her daily trip-log in your inbox during June and July!