More than ever, people, (myself included) need something they can hold onto and believe in.

Hopes, wishes and dreams live in us. It’s vital that these mental, spiritual elements never die.

Without hope there is a heavy sense of loss, direction and inspiration.

Without dreams there is no direction, no changes and no goal to feel proud of.

A wish is important because it fuels your dreams and drives you to great places yet to be been.

…A wish needs your energy to meet it half way.

Its easy to feel discouraged, and at times exhausted while traveling towards your dreams and wishes. I know this all too well!

I was seven years old when a group of kids whooped, hollered and laughed as they sped by me on their bikes. I had only just learned to walk the year before to the surprise of many specialists.

Their doubts, doom and gloom about my limited abilities to live a “normal” life wasn’t anywhere near my thought process. All I wished, hoped and dreamed about for years after was to learn how to ride a bike like those kids.

It took years of practice, determination and faith. That’s not to say I didn’t get mad, I did. I have an impressive collection of scars from some of my more spectacular falls. Those falls were part of my learning process. Dealing with obstacles like deep bruises, cuts and embedded gravel were frustrating and painful setbacks.

My poor mother was sick with worry and fear that I would kill myself trying to learn, but I knew I could do it. To keep me alive, my mom bought me a bike that had training wheels on it. I was ten years old-with training wheels!

Can you imagine a big kid on a two wheeled bike with training wheels?

I was determined to ride like every other kid on the block, despite my mother’s wrath and week long periods of being grounded if she found out I was on some other kids bike practicing.

At the age of sixteen my hopes, wishes and dreams came true. I hopped on my brother’s “girl bike” and rode it like a pro.

My mom was furious that I had broken a long standing rule of using someone else’s bike. I had to face her fury and convince her that it’s true, I really can ride a bike! My little brother stepped up and defended me and told her it was true. “She really can Mom!” he said.

That day my training wheels were removed forever. I was sixteen years old that day.

It took six years for me to reach my goal, but I did it!

I met my wish half way.

When I was a child my wish was to be an artist. I was told I wouldn’t make any money being an artist and besides, “you have to be really good to be an artist.” This message was less than encouraging.

Several years later, I am a professional artist. People buy my artwork, that bumps me up to a professional working artist.

I dream about holding painting classes because it would be cool to share this gift I was given.

Holding painting classes isn’t going to be as hard as me learning to ride a bike. I’ll make mistakes and that’s ok. I’ll just pick myself up and try it again. I’ll look at my challenges a bit differently and keep moving on.

I’ll work hard at silencing those crazy doubt filled voices that tag team in my head. To fight back, I’ll take a step back and point out my accomplishments and successes. I know I can do this, because art isn’t rocket science. It’s something else.

Whatever you’re working on achieving, you can get it if you want it bad enough.

I’m just sayin’!

My Whispering Stones wish for you is to feed your hopes, wishes and dreams. Why? Because it does a person good.