(This blog is the eighth in the series about “Countdowns” as I count down to Amanda’s moving out and count down to the Celebration Concert.)

Nothing much has really happened in the past couple of days that has any significance to Amanda’s move in four days.  We know we get the keys on Thursday and living room furniture is being delivered on Friday.  We have stuff here to pack and move over to her apartment.  I have to call on the billing this week for her utility bill and check on setting up internet service for her.  We have our staff people, but they are still jumping through the orientation hoops at the Guidance Center.  I think it will be a slow move – meaning it won’t all happen on Thursday – but gradually over the long weekend from Thursday through Sunday.  That’s okay.

It is rather like a dream come true – finally – for her to be moved to her own place.  It’s about time, don’t you think?  It has been twenty-nine years of dreaming.  Not the dreams you have when you sleep, but the wish-upon-­a-star kind where you really, really hope for something.  We’ve had dreams for all of our children through the years, like everyone does.  Dreams that our children will grow up happy, be successful, will attend the best college, graduate with honors, get a great job, find the perfect spouse, live a good life.  The dreams-come-true hasn’t always happened for Amanda.  We’ve had some challenges along the way!  But we will take whatever we can get.  I hope she loves being lord and master over her own place and really takes personal ownership of things.  For Amanda to be living in her own place has always been a dream for Ted and me.  It will also be so nice for Ted and me to be a couple again – and not a three-some.

I happened to sit down with Ted this afternoon as he was watching an episode of “Once Upon a Time.”  It is a TV series that looked good to me from the commercials, but one I never got around to watching.  The series takes place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, in which the residents are actually characters from various fairy tales that were transported to the “real world” town by a powerful curse cast by the Evil Queen.  It really is a creative concept the writers came up with for this television show.  Each episode focuses on a character back story. One segment details their life in the fairy tale world that, when serialized, adds a piece to the puzzle about the characters and their connection to the events that preceded the curse and its consequences. The other, set in the present day, follows a similar pattern with a different outcome but also offers similar insights.  The episode that Ted was watching involved the seven dwarfs – but Grumpy was actually named Dreamy.  Although a dwarf, he tended to dream about other things, places, and a life apart from the mines.  He falls in love with a beautiful young girl who is trying to learn to become a fairy godmother.  They dream together of literally sailing off in a small ship and seeing the world together.  The blue fairy, who is head of all the fairies, gives Dreamy a talking-to and tells him that his fairy girlfriend should be left alone to become a fairy godmother and for him to return to the mines where he belongs.  It made me so sad – because that’s just what Dreamy felt resigned to do!  His dreams were squashed!  In this television story, the dwarves get named by their mining pick-axes and as the dwarves grab the wooden handles, their chosen names appear on the handle.  Poor, sad Dreamy goes back to the mines and grabs a new pick-ax.  The name “Grumpy” carves itself into the handle, forever labeling the former Dreamy to his new persona.

I was so saddened by Dreamy/Grumpy’s shattered dreams!  I think he and fairy girlfriend should have gotten out of there!  Again – very creative writing on the part of the TV series.

So, finally, let us segue into song number eight of the Celebration concert that is happening one week from today.  The song is titled, “When Love Was Born.”  It is a beautiful song that tells of imagining what it was like that night when God’s Son was born.  We know the night was clear because shepherds saw a bright star.  I’ll bet the sky was full of stars along with that one bright one!  Angels overhead were probably vying for the best view and had to hold back their enthusiastic songs of praise for a quiet lullaby.  People had been waiting so very long for a messiah – a king.  They had earthly visions of a wealthy prince being born in splendor and majesty.  Whoever would have dreamed for the King of Kings to be born in a lowly manger in the humble and simple little town of Bethlehem?  My favorite lyric that reflects this thought:  “Bethlehem, through your small door, came the hope we’ve waited for.”

I believe in dreaming.  It is an optimistic way to look at life.  It is synonymous with hope. Aren’t our hopes the same as our dreams?   So if I were to think I was too old, or too tired, or simply done with dreaming would mean that I’ve given up all hope.  Ha!  Not me.

Besides, I’d rather be a ‘’Dreamy” then a “Grumpy.”

just Laurel

They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.

EDGAR ALLAN POE, “Eleonora

Dreams last as long as you let them … both good and bad.

MICHAEL MARSHALL, The Upright Man

A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.

J. R. R. TOLKIEN, New York Magazine, Nov. 20, 1978