Give your dreams wings to fly

A dream is your wish your heart makes. I have lots of dreams. And I think that everyone should be full of them. Even kids do dream a lot, they have millions of wishes. It's sadly often that people set their goals too high and when they can't make them come true, they lose their faith in their dreams. The more they fail, the less they try again or even dare to have another dream. Many adults came to me and said, they stopped having dreams years ago. The older they became the more they realized that life is anything else like a dream and it always comes differently than expected. But I think some give up way to soon and some just think dreams will come true without the guys doing anything to let it happen.

Having dreams is what keeps you strong, what helps you to make your life better. You have dreams for a reason. When something doesn't turn out the way you want it to, change it. Do something. It's always worth trying.

Only the one who tries can win, the one who doesn't try has already failed.

Each and every dream is like a
balloon that that carries your wish to the sky.
pic by D. Sharon Pruitt  

What always surprises me is how many wanna become Hollywood superstars. When you ask kids about their favorite professions, they answer: actor, singer, model. But why? They don't see the hard work, that not many actors, singers or models can earn their living with their jobs. That the lucky, talented and blessed ones who work and live in Hollywood are the only ones these kids see and dream of and notice. But these guys are only a very few compared to all who currently work in these jobs. Hollywood is like an actor itself that only shows its best side. Everyone who reads Hollywood thinks of a perfect life, luxury and glamour. But it can be mean, tough, hard. So, I never wanted to be there, to live there. It's surreal in so many ways. It takes long to be there, even harder to stay there but dead easy to get kicked out.

Fake people can be everywhere. You can never be sure who is really nice and who is only acting like that. I already had to deal with such people in my life, who extremely disappointed me, but that's another story. And luckily there are more nice people I met in my life who let me believe that the good in people still outweigh the mean guys.

So I was really impressed by this one actress, who doesn't dream of Hollywood. She simply wants to entertain the ones who need it the most: sick kids. Kids who spend their entire lives in hospitals, not sure if they'll survive, if they can beat their diseases.

She goes to hospitals, and she talks to the kids. About their dreams, about their hopes and wishes. What do they love? Then she writes a story with them, sings and dances. They do a little musical together, filled with a story she created with the kid. It fulfills her to see these kids smiling, to give them moments of joy, moments they won't forget. When she is with them, the kids don't think about the bad things, not about the hospital or maybe that they have to leave their parents sooner than they want to (and kids do notice that. No matter how young they are, they do care about their parents, too and don't wanna see them suffer.).

Not only kids can get lost in art, and express their feelings
in singing, writing, dancing and acting.
pic by D. Sharon Pruitt

Hollywood is just a money making world. It's all about the money. But this actress I am writing about is different. Art should primarily touch people, make them feel better. You can cure people when you sing, when you dance. These kids can express themselves. They tell their own stories, tell her what's on their minds. Though they are mostly in pain, their fantasies are full of colors.

They can get lost in the art. And that is what art is for. 

No matter if singing, dancing, writing, acting, it's not about the money, it's not about becoming a big superstar. There are so many who do it because it's their passion, because they wanna make the world a bit brighter, a bit more colorful.

Do never lose your ability to dream. You can do it. Don't set your goals too high, and you don't have to be the best. It's not about competition. It's about what your heart feels, what feels right for you to do. When you do it with passion, people will appreciate it. It doesn't matter how many people can see you. Even if there is just one person out there who does, you can change her world for the better. And as important money these days is, isn't it the best reward to make someone happy?

The sadness of being

John Paul II memorial, St. Anne's Hill

When I was in Poland two weeks ago, my friend showed me some pretty interesting places. Her Grandma lives in Silesia and my friend visits her a couple of times every year. It was my first time in Poland and the only negative thing about this trip was, that I don't speak any Polish. Luckily my friend's Grandma spoke some German and her husband some English. I enjoyed my stay there, and I met lots of nice and friendly people.

One day we went to St. Anne's Hill. its chapel is an important destination for Roman Catholic pilgrimage. I took some pictures of this amazing place and also the John Paul II memorial they built to remember his visit in the 1980s. 

Besides all these good impressions, there was one thing that keeps me thinking. My friend showed me her Grandma's neighborhood and where the kids lived she used to play with. We went to the cemetery and she showed me the grave of one of her friends. He wanted to save someone from drowning, wanted to rescue the kid in a nearby lake. The kid survived but my friend's friend died, he drowned. Her best girl friend died in a car accident. Her mother was with her in that car, she survived but will never fully recover from this and what happened to her daughter. Both friends of my friend were only about 18 years when they passed away.

St. Anne's Hill chapel

Too often I don't think about how soon life can be over. I read an article about a girl who died because she was texting while driving. It only needs one second of carelessness, not paying attention what's happening. A crash. People can be injured or even die. More and more often I hear about persons who use their phones while driving. No matter if they "just" want to call someone, write a text or whatever. They underestimate the danger, not only the one they put themselves in, but also other people. You can easily lose control.
Imagine you are driving and then, in the blink of an eye, you see lights coming closer and there is no way for you to avoid a crash. It's not your fault, but the other one's did something on his phone instead of paying attention to the street.

Car accidents happen way too often, and many of them can be prevented. Why do some guys think it's cool to text and drive? Is it necessary to take life for granted and to not think of the risks? Or maybe to think that nothing will happen because nothing happened all the times before? Misbelief.

I think a lot about life and what really matters. I also go often to my Grandpa and my Grandma's graves, just because I want to "see" them. And I think of my time with them, how much we laughed and how much fun we had. Then I think of how many years have passed since then, and that it doesn't seem to be this long. It was like they were just here, and then they were gone. Your eyes can't see them anymore but anyway I can feel that they are still here with me. And when it comes to my Grandma, I'm happy I had these 12 years with her, because the doctors said she will only live a few months more after her cancer diagnosis. She lived more than 10 years longer. So at least we had that time together.

Life is unique, it's special. And once it's gone, well you can't buy a new one or fix everything. It's not like a car or something. Life is precious. And I realized too often how soon it can be over. But it's not important how many years you lived as long as you actually lived. You can only do that when you love, when you embrace and enjoy your life. Be yourself, leave your own footsteps in the sand of life. The people who only follow someone's traces never dared to be themselves.

No money can buy what really matters in life. You're born naked, you enter this world having nothing, and you can't take anything with you when you have to go. But while living, many become greedy, they want more and more. More money, more wealth, more luxury. Sure it's better to have a bit more than a bit less, but having too much can destroy people. They start thinking more and more about making more and more $$, and forgetting about the rest. Friends and family are the ones who won't forget you, who love you for who you are. That's what money can't do. And only true love and someone who really cares for you, makes you happy and alive. Don't take that for granted!