While I was busy this week reorganizing my ever-changing-studio, I struggled to stay focused on the task at hand. I desperately needed to toss out a lot of junk de-clutter several shelves and reduce the amount of stuff that was crowding in upon me, but try as I might my mind kept wandering back to something I'd read earlier in the week. My heart kept revisiting the writings of the late Erma Bombeck where I stumbled upon this amazing little quote:
“There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say,
"Yes, I've got dreams, of course I've got dreams."
Then they put the box away and bring it out once in awhile to look in it, and yep, they're still there.”
When I was a little girl I thought for a while I wanted to be a nurse, but given the fact that I couldn't stand the sight of blood by the time I was seven I'd abandoned all such thinking. Still, as I grew older I dreamed many dreams. I thought about becoming an art teacher or a painter. Maybe a clothing designer or some other kind of artisan. But those things seemed to always come second (or third, fourth, etc.) to my longing of being a wife and mother. Somehow, certainly by God's grace, I was afforded the deepest desires of my heart. Today I'm a wife of 32 years to my beloved Mr. AGPMan and mother to an amazing son and beautiful daughter. No doubt I've been blessed.
But, as my children grew up, found love and ultimately left the safety of 'home', I found I was totally unprepared for the quieting down of my La Chaumière de Briarwood. My day to day life was over as I had known it and a really big part of me hated the sounds of silence. Even so, I somehow knew that great days were ahead of me.
And so...
I seek guidance and strength everyday
to open up the lid to my
"box of dreams"
and live them...
It's been said that it takes a lot of courage to allow someone into your inner circle and reveal to them your life's passions. Like Ms. Bombeck I can only pray that "when I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say I used everything you gave me."
Got dreams?
Be the Original YOU!
Dare to live them!
"You'll use the old rubble of past lives to rebuild anew. Rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything. Restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
~Isaiah 58:12 (The Message)
~~*~~
Blessings to you today as you embrace all you've been called to be.
Love to you...
I am very familiar with these thoughts and so ironic as I'm trying to declutter today too and it's so easy to get side tracked. Before I knew it, I was putting together a pillow instead of cleaning. LOL
ReplyDeleteI was very blessed too as I had the children I wanted and became a nurse practitioner when they were little so transition for me was still quite a busy pace. I do find it hard to figure out what to do with their little stuff downstairs.
Have a great Sunday.
Jennifer
Beautiful Post. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteTrying to live life to irts fullest!!!
Sheila
Dearest Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteGuess you always have been thinking 'out of the box'! Don't worry too much about that. What else could you have done 'more'...?
Lots of love,
Mariette
Dear Sweet Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteYour words of wisdom ring true in my life right now. Both children grown, both grandchildren past the age to need me as a baby sitter, closed my retail store, and now I am reinventing myself. Settling into the joys of retirement with my hubby of 40 years. Enjoying some travel time. Creating and designing just for the pure preasure of it.
God is good, and life is sweet.
Hugs to You My Dear Friend,
Carol
Dear Rebecca, I just went to the funeral of a very lovely and vivacious woman who loved life. She had all kinds of trouble in her life healthwise and otherwise. He husband killed her and himself this past week. But her funeral was so inspiring as they brought out all the love, joy and full of life part of her instead of her troubles. She smiled all the time in spite of them. I found empty nesting hard to deal with, but have tried to make a life after children and hope that I can always have that joy that my co-worker had.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessed message, I am smiling...
ReplyDeleteThis week I took two loads of things to our local Good Will and have another load ready to drop off. My daughter even took a load on Saturday, so we are making progress here in decluttering and cleaning the closets. Lots more to do--teachers seem to like holding on to all sorts of things!!♥♫
ReplyDeleteVery wise and true words. Sometimes it takes our friends to remind us of these things. I have had a tail chasing few weeks and need to get out of this circle I am in. Nothing bad, just chaotic. Thank you Rebecca for these beautiful thoughts and sharing Erma with us once again. I really needed that.
ReplyDeletexoxo, Sue
your box of dreams have been such a blessing
ReplyDeleteto us! thank you.
inspiring words... thank you for sharing... hugs. Dixie
ReplyDeleteHI Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteOh I've missed a few of your recent posts... they are lovely. I enjoyed looking at your crafts- the tea bag covers are soooo very pretty, as are all the things you do. Your mother's photo is beautiful ...as are your sentiments all through these posts. I also revisit Erma Bombeck and miss her wisdom dearly. I think we've all somewhat taken her place in writing for each other.
I am always so grateful for my blog friends. It's wonderful to get new ideas, to receive confirmation and affirmation on so many things. The spiritual guidance is at the top of the list! There's so much guidance out here!
My husband and I are visiting our son in Austin. It's been soooo wonderful ~ we've missed him so much*
Have a beautiful new week*
Maria
Rebecca, I love that quote! At the rate I am going I hope to use up all my talents, what a great thought! So what are you going to pull out of the box???
ReplyDeleteCarol
Oh.. Thankyou for inspiring quotes.. My parents are moving back to Texas and "we" have been trying to scale down on things (not to mention how hard it is).. I tend to rotate things in my home using the same things over and over usually I dream up a new use for them but my hubby always says maybe its time to get rid of some of it but secretly I just don't know what I could part with since I do treasure all of my "junk".. Most are gifts from love ones or those items you just could not live without(at least at the time you bought you thought so)..
ReplyDeleteShabby T
shabbytammie.blogspot.com
Good morning Rebecca. Such a lovely post... I can't begin to tell you how these heartfelt, posts of progress on being a better 'you' touch me and help me to think about my own life and how I can look at things differently. Yesterday's sermon was on 'significant people' in our lives... some of which we don't even realize are significant. And sometimes we don't realize how we are significant to others. At a time in my life when everything is changing, let me just say that this post was another one of those 'just what I needed' posts. Thanks much for allowing God to use you and for making a difference in the lives of others - with words of encouragement and true wisdom.. God bless!
ReplyDeletegreat post. A lot of your post make me cry. I have to go get my box of dreams out and take a look. I need to remember them again. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLove your honesty. I am a "call it like it is" gal too.
ReplyDeleteOh so very many times over the past 15 years...since I had to retire (early)...have I wondered what God has in store for me and my talents.
I KNOW what my passions are...don't often have the energy for all of them...but I keep trying..so I guess that is was counts.
Thank you for your inspiration.
Rose
Beautiful and inspiring post.... Thanks for sharing it with us Rebecca!!!
ReplyDeletehugs~~~ Daphne
I love this post, my dear, sweet friend. I know, all too well, that feeling you are talking about. While my children are still in my home, they are 19 and 21...very independent and not in need of hands-on care anymore. My days of homeschooling are over, and given that that is what I've known since 1999, I was a little unsettled as to what this new season of my life would look like.
ReplyDeleteLast summer, as my son finished high school, I had to take a long hard look at what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. No more little ones, I know, but, what is my purpose now. I spent many months trying to figure things out, and my long-buried DREAM to be a writer began bursting forth again.
For years, I felt that I wasn't talented or creative, simply because I can't sew or paint or anything like that. But I CAN write...and I love to write. So, I am taking the steps now to achieve my dream of being a writer. I'm doing two blogs (my classic movie blog and my "beautiful things" blog), and I'm trying my hand at some free-lance writing. AND, I'm fleshing out a novel.
While I loved the mothering season of my life, I've learned that there is a time to every season. It's time to move on to other things, and your lovely post just confirms to me how excited I am to be resurrecting my long-buried dream.
Love and hugs,
Patti
Rebecca,sweet girl.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. All so well put.
Dreams to come true, but we must be ready to step out when the time is set before us, when God says 'this is your time."
Three years ago, He said time for me to step into my dream, a store,I had always wanted. A dream that had been put to the back of my mind for so long, I might have forgotten, but He didn't.
One room, not very full, has now grown to a full house of treasures, but the est treasure is the way He shows up to minister to those who come in.
When we are walking in His ways, He blesses, and each day I get to have the store is a blessing to me, and I hope to many others.
Thank you for the sweet post dear friend.
blessings
barbara jean