DREAMS. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The invariable mark of a dream is to see it come true.”
Well, this little girl from Kansas had a dream come true this week. I spent two days in New York City soaking up the Christmas lights and attractions including the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular Show.
I went with my adult daughter, who hates big cities, and we rode the subway and city bus. We walked 40 blocks along 5th Avenue doing the touristy thing of snapping photographs. We lit candles at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and prayed over those loved ones we lit them for.
We visited the 9/11 Memorial and stood in reverence as we read the names and listened to the water rushing into the infinity pools. We marveled at the Oculus and the ingenuity of Santiago Calatrava who designed it.
We appreciated the beautiful art at the Guggenheim Museum and the circular design of Frank Lloyd Wright. We ate Italian, Irish, Albanian, and English food. We might have participated in a liquid libation (or two).
We laughed, walked, observed, and pondered the ways of the city.
What was priceless was the precious gift of time spent together and the incredible mother-daughter relationship we have because of this adventure and many others. Dana said I owe her and can’t ask for any more big adventures for five years. I hope she is joking as this mama is getting too old to wait to walk 40 blocks in a major city again.
For me, my dream started in the middle of Kansas in the 1960s while watching the Carol Burnett Show. I wanted to grow up and be a dancer. I wanted to learn it all – tap, ballet, waltz – like the Carol Burnett dancers (if you are too young to remember, google them). They were smooth with individual partners and in sync with the whole troupe. They were the break between monologues, celebrities, and comedic sketches, and while I loved Carol, I adored the dancers.
My cousin, who was one year older than me, would invite me to her Saturday morning dance class. She hated going, so I guess I was her distraction. I loved watching from the sidelines as my family couldn’t afford dance lessons. I mimicked what I saw in that class. Every loud sole of my shoe became tap shoes, and every tennis shoe a ballet slipper. My bedroom’s hard wood floors became my stage or the road in front of my house became my yellow brick road. Dorothy danced down the road to see the Wizard and so did I.
I am telling you one of my best kept secrets, because this week opened this little girl’s heart to dream. While I didn’t dance down the aisle, I was part of the show singing “Deck the Halls” with Santa and his elves at the Christmas Spectacular. Oh yes, I sang at the top of my lungs.
While I didn’t perform on stage, I applauded those who did. While I sat in my seat, I was memorized by the precision of the Rockettes and the things that I had only seen on television until now. The costumes, the lights, the show, and the dance. Oh, the high kicks and quick turns. The pageantry of it all was breathtaking.
Do you still dream? Maybe of being a leader others trust, mastering new skills, or reigniting a passion you set aside. I want to help you rediscover that spark.
Let’s turn those dreams into actionable goals and lasting achievements.
📧 Reach out at whatshesaid2020@yahoo.com
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Let’s dream together.
What She Said ~ Beverly
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