Surprise Inspiration

Sometimes inspiration comes when I least expect it or when I'm not looking for it. It announces its presence in an unassuming way, giving me pause to consider what is and is not important in my life. It can come in the form of a hug from a little girl named Ellie on a Sunday morning at church whose eyes light up when she sees me and runs into my arms. It can come in the form of the wagging tail of my faithful dog as she greets me when I return home after a long, hard day at work. It can come in the form of reading a page-turner book that gives me escape from my daily routine and transports me to another time and place. Or it can come, as it did in the last few weeks, in the form of a 48-year-old woman who became an overnight YouTube sensation.

The first time I viewed Susan Boyle singing "I Dreamed a Dream" on the talent show Britain's Got Talent, I cried like a baby. In fact, I've watched that video over and over, and each time, tears well up in my eyes as her beautiful voice touches my soul. But it's more than Susan's voice that brings inspiration to me, so much more. It is the story of her life ... deemed "learning disabled" as a child and subsequently teased as she grew up; taking care of her elderly, ailing mother for many years while sacrificing her own dreams and desires; never marrying, now living alone with her cat, Pebbles. Her appearance, her humble life, her unassuming manner all contribute to build my admiration for the courage and inner strength that she obviously possesses.

It was Susan's attempt to fulfill a promise she made to her dying mother to "make something of herself" that spurred her to audition for the talent show, and the rest, as they say, is history. The judges, the people in the audience, and those of us who watched the video thought that Susan was a joke and that her performance would be a train wreck. And then ... she smiled, opened her mouth, and sang.

Susan came in second in the competition, but by all accounts, her life will never be the same. She will have a recording contract, and she will sell millions of CDs. She will get a book deal, and someone will make a movie of her life. The meager success she hoped for when she auditioned will pale in comparison to what is coming her way. I hope that Susan realizes that her voice is wonderful, beautiful, and inspirational. But what I truly hope that Susan knows and embraces is that it is her ... her life, her inner spirit, her courage ... that has brought inspiration to millions of people around the world.

So, Susan, from this 49-year-old single gal who needed an extra kick to follow her own dreams ... thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing you with me!

Chasing the Dream

When I was a little girl, my oldest brother Jerry would make cheese sandwiches and take me and his two young sons for a picnic in the tree house he built in the large oak tree in his front yard. We would climb the ladder up the tree, spread a blanket and eat and talk about everything under the sun. I remember that Jerry would ask me at some point during each of those conversations what I wanted to do when I grew up. And my answer was always the same, "I want to write books about fish."

Looking back now, I have no idea why I was so fascinated with fish when I was young. Perhaps it was because my dad took me fishing a lot. Perhaps it was because we had a huge aquarium filled with several varieties of goldfish in our house. Perhaps it was because Jerry was a biology teacher. All I know is that even at a young age, I wanted to be a writer. And I wanted to write books about fish.

It seems fitting somehow that my first post on my brand new blog should cause me to remember that childhood writing dream and to reflect on those special times with my brother Jerry. It also causes me to again, as I have so many times over the last 30-something years, wonder how my life would have been different had Jerry not lost his life in a car accident when I was 10 years old.

So, Jerry, if you can look down from heaven and see me now in the middle of my life, I'm sure you are smiling. I'm writing, Jerry, and I'm speaking for women's groups. I've even written my first book. I'm chasing the dream, and I'm trying my best to make you proud.

Oh, and one more thing ... it's not a book about fish.