the wishes that already came true...

Oddly enough, it came to me while I was cleaning chicken. I was standing at the counter beside the sink, Creedence on the ipod and my hands wrist deep in unacceptable poultry pieces when it hit me--- no, thankfully it wasn't a chunk of that white clumpy stuff --- it was a realization.
Years ago I had dreamed that one day I would be right here. Right here, in my own kitchen, with my own window looking out into my own backyard. Maybe in the dream I hadn't envisioned the stack of chicken waste but almost everything else was accurate. As a typical teenager feeling confined, I'd dreamed that one day I would have my own home. Not just a bedroom. A home. A place where I could fill the air with any song and any scent that I wished. A window sill that I could junk up with random nonsense --- like a ceramic inchworm. A yard that I could gaze out upon. I've lived in this house now for nearly eight years and TODAY it finally hit me that one of my biggest former wishes had come true.

I started wondering what other dreams have come true that I haven't realized yet.

here they are:

I'm very happily married to a hell of a man

I have the sweetest baby girl who makes being her mama feel like a breeze

I've had the privilege / pleasure of staying home, thus far, and being with Scarlett everyday thanks to some amazing factors

I am happy

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These are just four of the things I had wished for in the past (some for many, many years) that have since come to fruition. Sure, I may have acknowledged my happiness a bunch of times. I of course have felt "lucky" and blessed. But it never actually sunk in- until today- that these were things that at one point in time seemed so far away, so unattainable, so hopelessly unlikely. I naively wished for them on stars and birthday candles. I saved ridiculous fortunes pulled from cookies. I spent hours daydreaming by the sea. And then one day I just didn't have to anymore.

Now I sit and dream of winning the lottery, paying off my mortgage, moving to a more desirable neighborhood, etc. I think, man, if just one of my wishes would come true... Well, I've awoken and slapped myself in the face. I'm now in awe of what I do have in my life. I feel a newly renowned sense of gratefulness. We all know that hard work, dedication and passion are really the only way to get what you want. You can't leave life to chance. There's no sense dwelling on the things that we DON'T have when we could be enjoying all of the amazing things that we DO have. 

So tell me, what dreams-turned-reality haven't YOU realized?