
Too many families in my parents' generation believed in the old adage that "children should be seen and not heard". Children's basic needs were met, but forget about it if something a child would like to do cost money or took up their time! Thank goodness, movies were very, very cheap when I was growing up. They made a good baby sitter as well. Between movies and the books from the library that I loved to read, my mind was filled with dreams and images of many fun and beautiful things in the world I would love to see or do. Unfortunately, the movies also implanted many unrealistic or unobtainable desires as well.
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Dreams really do come true! It wasn't until my children and grandchildren
started doing the things that I always dreamed of doing, but was unsuccessful at accomplishing, that I recognized this. I think the first time I realized it, I was watching a video my daughter had sent me of one of Audrey's dance recitals. She was very young...maybe six years old. She
danced on a big, professionally lighted stage, in gorgeous costumes. At the end, she was presented with a bouquet of roses, and an award as "Miss Tap" -- one of many awards she would receive through the years. Oh, how I would have loved to do that as a young girl! I told my mother that watching Audrey was like living my own dream of being a dancer. I accepted those roses with her! In my mind.



My daughter, Carajean, as a child wished to play the cello (I played the cello for


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That brings me to another childhood dream. I wanted to be a SINGER! I always sang at every opportunity. I memorized the words to all the popular songs. I sang in a quartet (believe it or not, I sang alto) in grade school. One of the members of that quartet went on into musical theater. I was jealous when I saw her in a lead role in the musical "Oklahoma" in Dallas. By then I was a stay-at-home mother of two. I often wondered if she ever married and had children. (Cast of Anything Goes at Booker T.):
Obviously, I do not have a very good singing voice or I would be singing now! This is where I get excited.. My very first grandchild, Cameron, was born with a voice of an angel. As I have told everyone ad infinitum, he is in his third year of a musical
scholarship at LSU, studying opera. I have a video of one of his performances at the performing arts high school he attended in Dallas. Guess what? He not only sang in that role, he also DANCED! Talk about dreams coming true. Of course, dancing is not his best talent. Sorry, Cameron. But I have a feeling that if someday he needs to dance in a professional production, he will take lessons and master that art as well! And he also will get that college degree I always dreamed of. (Photo from Seussical the Musical @ Booker T.)


Granddaughter Hannah doesn't show a lot of interest yet in the arts. Her dad tells me she has a really good singing voice. I'm hoping she will follow her big brother and become interested in singing seriously. He was a little older than she when his voice commanded attention at the Unity church I attended. I was as surprised as everyone, and asked his dad why he hadn't told any of the family. His answer was that he felt like everyone thinks their child is somehow "special". So what's wrong with that??
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Son Matthew. As a cute little kid of 4 and 5, he would get his toy guitar and stand on the only part of the floor of my apartment that wasn't carpeted. He would sing to the top of his lungs, plunking on that piece of plastic, and end with a fast shuffle of his little feet. He had watched a TV presentation of Sammy Davis, Jr. tap dancing as a child. When he viewed it, he jumped up and said, "I can do that!" and

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None of my children or grandchildren knew that these were my childhood dreams. I believe that the passion and desire I felt growing up for a career in one of the arts.. music, song, dance.. maybe even acting, was so strong that the energy of my thoughts was carried forward into the generations following me.When I look at the advantages my grandchildren have in achieving anything they can dream, I think of so many other children in the world. What about the precious children in Haiti.. or Pakistan.. or the Sudan? What images are being imprinted on their young minds? What chance do they have of fulfilling dreams of beauty, art, music, dance? Can we all dream for them? Pray for them? Can we spare a little money for the relief agencies who continue to help them? Can we spare a lot?
May all our dreams be beautiful, and may the best of them come true.
Peace and Love,
Marilyn
"How lovely that so many of your dreams have come true through your children and grandchildren. I so often wish I could go back when my children were babies and imagine that I could do things so much better with what I have since learned about child development. Let's face it--we not only didn't know but didn't have the financial resources to do so much that they now are able to do. I'm so happy that this generation seems to have so much of both of those. And I too am so pleased to see their dreams fulfilled. Thanks again for this thought-provoking, lovely blog." Love, June
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