Dream…Believe…Achieve…

Earlier this fall, my mother and father went to one of my favorite places in all the world (Chincoteague, VA) and bought me a gift. It came from my favorite little shop in the town and my mom knew I would love whatever was inside. When I opened the bag, I found a jewelry box with a bracelet enclosed. The bracelet was made of amber-colored and silver beads. There were 3 beads with words on them. They read…Dream…Believe…Achieve. The card in the box said,
“Dare to dream
Whether big or small
Believe in yourself
And you can achieve all.”
I thanked my mother for the gift and, of course, enjoyed the salt water taffy that came with it. I began wearing the bracelet many days and it made me think of the wonderful friend I have in my mother. My mother and I had a typical relationship throughout my teen years with some ups and downs. Most of the downs were because she made me clean my room or expected me to earn good grades. I ended up grounded at times or having lost priviledges and feeling resentful. When I decided to go to college, my mom really pushed me to attend a school out of my area. I was anxious about this move because of the distance from all I knew and was comfortable with. As it turned out, my mom was right. I had the most wonderful college years and met wonderful friends that I will have for the rest of my life. I learned to be responsible, independent, and reliable. I never really learned to keep my room clean, but I still have time for that. J During those college years, my mother took on a second job to supplement the cost of my education that school loans could not cover. She never complained and was always one to send me a care package or an article from my local newspaper in a card. I got married after college and had children, all with my mom by my side. I recently completed my master’s degree after many sleepless nights and much exhaustion. At times, I wanted to just quit and not finish the program due to the other items in my life that needed attention. Again, my mother was there urging me on.
As I look down on my bracelet now, I realize the thought that went into the purchase of this gift. Not only was it from my favorite shop, in my favorite town, it also contained 3 very powerful words on it. Dream…as a child my mother always told me I could do anything I wanted if I put my mind to it. She never put limits on my abilities or endeavors. Believe…self-confidence was instilled at an early age with my encouragement and coaching from the sidelines. My mother taught me to believe in myself and hold strong to what I believed in. Achieve…in the highest way possible. I was always told that you could have everything taken from you in your life and lose it all, but your education could never be taken away.
We all need a mission statement for our lives. Maybe mine was written for me and I never realized it until I received a gift and looked down to really view it one day. Where do you want to go in life? I challenge you to reach for greater heights, never give up on your dreams, make plans and achieve them, and most of all don’t forget those who love you and are always cheering you on from the sidelines.