Dreams are something we all have, we all strive for and we all try to create. Everyone has different dreams, I mean it might be a young girl’s dream to grow up and become a mother, or a doctor or even president of the United States. A mother might dream of a better life for her children, or a father might dream of the day he gets to play ball with his son. There are some dreams we take for granted, like the dream of graduating high school, or college. The dream of making yourself proud of goals you met while you were alive. Dreams that you could hand down to other generations as a, “See, look what I did.”

Tuesday, May 23, 2006, my mother took the final steps of a dream she has had a long time. One that she worked hard towards and one that she’ll be able to tell her grandchildren, “Look what Grammy did!” With her cap and gown on, she crossed the stage with pride and accepted her diploma.

A few years ago she gave birth to a dream, to graduate from college. It took her about five years to complete all the courses she needed to get her General Studies degree - but she got it! We all went to watch her shining moment. Sammy was a little cranky and had no plans of simply sitting there to watch people he didn’t know cross a stage. He was the best kid for the opening ceremonies and the salute to our nation’s flag, but that’s where he got off. Scott took him out to play, and they popped in every so often to see where Grammy was in line. The students stood and family members went rushing down to the front row for photo ops. I was lucky that my mother was in the first row of students, although I had seen another name on the program that I recognized and I wanted to get her picture as well. After waiting through all the students, I realized she wasn’t present. My mother’s name was called along with the degree she earned as she crossed over to two very important looking people (Regents) and one (somebody else) to shake hands with. She tossed in a fist pump when she centered the stage. It was loud and clear she was a very proud person who had just made one of the most important dreams in her life come true.

That was a moment for all of us - I guess anyone in the auditorium as well. Whenever you see a person with that much joy jetting out of them, you cannot help but feel it. It gets passed around for all to share and allow others dreaming to move forward and do what they can to make their dreams come true too. It’s a big “in your face” moment that anything you want is right there waiting for you. I am not a big cryer, but it was a moving moment. No, I didn’t shed tears, but I felt the pride for my mother that evening. I know that this meant more to her than it did most of the young kids passing through on their way to the University. She had waited most of her life for this moment, and after a marriage, two children and a lot of work to get by with life, she found time to squeeze this in and make it happen. As Sammy would say, “Good job Grammy!”

Dreaming is a powerful thing, anyone can do just about anything they want to. They just have to dream it first.

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