Are you living your dream? – Kandy Shepherd

Recently, my younger brother died suddenly and unexpectedly. It was sad, distressing and I don’t know when I’ll get over the shock and loss. However the upside of the tragedy was I was able to spend significant time with my middle brother. He lives on the other side of the country, and before that in Europe, so I haven’t seen much of him at all in recent years. It was amazing the details of shared lives that siblings seem to remember. He reminded me of all sorts of things I’d forgotten.

 

During our most recent conversation I observed we are quite an eccentric family. He laughed as he agreed but said we have all achieved our dreams, one way or another. “You always wanted to be a romance writer,” he pointed out. Our deceased younger brother became a rock musician later in life, not on a large scale but known and loved in the area where he lived—living the dream of singing and playing guitar on stage. Another has a string of non-fiction books in his area of expertise to his name. The other has the lifestyle he dreamed of and knows he has made a difference through activism.

It got me thinking. Yes, I am living the dream of being a romance writer—and very happy about it too! But I’m also living the dream of being happily married and the mother of a wonderful daughter. How fortunate I am!

Other friends are living the dream of seeing the world now they’re retired. Another is totally caught up in her longed for first baby. Yet another is taking art classes for the first time and discovering her talent. My husband, in middle age, has achieved his dream of cycling across some of the highest alps in Europe. My daughter has her own horse—a dream since she was tiny. Another young person is delighted to have a job and be able to pay rent on her own place. 

So many different dreams motivating and inspiring us!

PS. My other oft-stated dream when I was a kid? To live in a lovely house and have lots of cats. As I live in a nice house with four much-loved cats, I think I can check that one off the dream list too! (Don’t mention to my husband that I’d like to foster homeless cats one day—because that’s definitely not his dream as he fears I wouldn’t be able to part with them!)

What about you? Have you achieved a dream of some kind that pleases you? Do you still aspire to a dream? Is there a dream you had to give up on? Please share your story with us. I’d love to hear it!