My Dream vs. My Life

I have been a stay-at-home mom for 6 months now! Where does the time go?! There are so many wonderful reasons why I love staying home, but one reason is that I now have more time to write. I am glued to my computer these days. As I was cleaning out some files full of poetry and story ideas, I came across an assignment I had put together in college. We were told to create & write about what our dream future looked like. I wrote this when I was 19....

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In my dreams, I see a place.
This place is a beautiful house in the middle of green pastures.

There are lilies, sunflowers and rose bushes.

In the yard, there is a big friendly dog, named Bud.

Along with Bud, there is also a pool, patio and swing set.

The swing set belongs to three small children.

However, the three small children are not home.

They are riding in the car with Mommy.
Mommy is a schoolteacher.
A schoolteacher who loves her job.
Mommy says the pay could be better, but the gratification could not.
When the family gets home (to the beautiful house), the children go outside to play.

Mommy begins to make dinner, because Daddy will be home soon.

Even though, Mommy does not like to cook all that much she is smiling (for two reasons.)

The first reason is that she found out a law was passed requiring all districts to pay teachers no less than $40,000 a year.

The second reason is that it is summer break.

Although Mommy will miss her students, she will now have time to follow up on her other passions.

For instance, in the den sits a filing cabinet, full of poetry and short stories.

Work that needs to be typed up and mailed out to Mommy's publisher.

Next to the file cabinet is an easel, with a watercolor painting that Mommy has yet to finish.
So many things to do, and so little time to do it.
On the easel is a paintbrush, a paintbrush that just fell to the floor, because when Daddy got home he slammed the door behind him.
Why you ask?

Daddy won the lotto.
Now everything the family wanted will be possible.
In the summer when school is out the family will travel to the islands, visit foreign countries and go on cruises.
The beautiful house will become even more beautiful because Mommy's walk-in closet will be full of clothes and shoes.
The family can donate to all of the charities they want.
Mommy will be able to pay for her own production of books and possibly even a greeting card company.
Daddy will get the car he always wanted and build an office for his private practice.

The kids will lack for nothing, go off to college and become very successful.

Soon, Mommy and Daddy will become Grandma and Grandpa.
In my dreams, all my dreams will come true.

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• We do have a beautiful home and a pool, but there are no green pastures, lilies, sunflowers or roses. We have desert landscaping with palm trees & red and yellow habiscus flowers :)
• No swing set, but a porch swing.

• Instead of 2 boys and a girl, we have 3 girls and a boy.
• We don't have a big dog named Bud, but we have a little dog named Cimba.

• I did teach for a while.
• I still write and keep everything in the filing cabinet.
• I still enjoy drawing, but instead of an easel I use a Graphic Pad.
• I didn't like to cook in the past, but I do enjoy it now. It feels good to cook for your own family & especially for my hubby who is grateful for every meal.
• We haven't won the lotto (yet), but we never play! :)

Again, I was 19...so yes, my dreams were a little superficial, but umm...I think I'd still love for all of those things to happen! :) It was fun for my family to look at my "wishes" as a teenager and see how my life worked out 13 years later.