March 16, 2007 @ 1:13 pm | Filed under: Uniquely Me

Today comes very close to being a perfect day.

There  is nothing quite like the first few days of spring in North Texas, when vibrant greens and bright blues are once again the primary colors, and the flowers and trees are finally ready to burst into full bloom. I love it.

Being a writer, it goes without saying that I have a fairly active imagination. What can I say, I hear voices and I make up stuff. For a living.

But it’s days like today when I truly do believe that virtually anything I dream is possible, with hard work, steadfast prayer, and an unwavering belief in my goals.

It’s been my experience that God cares about even the smallest and most minute of our heart’s wishes. While some may seem slow in coming, God’s timing is always precise.

Today, even while I sit and work and steal occasional winsome glances out the large window next to me, my mind keeps roaming into the future and on to things I’d like to do, people I’d like to meet, and places I’d like to visit.

Do you have a spot, either here in the States or abroad, that draws you? For some, it is the landscapes and the beauty of faraway places. Mike wants to visit Ireland for this very reason. There is something in the pictures and videos of Ireland that speaks to him. For others, it’s the traditions and customs. Nate is intrigued with England. Jorge with Australia. I suppose we all have those places in this world that draw us, that seem to speak to our souls and invite us to learn more.

For me, there are two spots, and both are heavily seen and felt in my writing. The first is…Italy. Surprised? I don’t ever really talk about the fact that I’d like to visit Italy and, so far, only my agent has read the stories that involve my beloved Italian characters, Ella Paglia and the Benetti sisters. These novels are a bit of departure for me and have allowed me to explore deeper areas of myself while also indulging the bits and pieces of me that are still unknown to those who love me.

Italy, for me, represents love. Love of family, love of friends, love of the things that are most important in this life. I like the idea of dinners that last for hours. I like the fact that it’s okay to enjoy food. I like that Italians appreciate curves. I like the loyalty and faith that is so very present in the Italian culture. The more research I do, the more I find to appreciate. The more I appreciate it, the more I want to visit…

But closer to home, and probably even closer to my heart, is the Eastern seaboard. I’ve had a lifelong passion for lighthouses and, while I’ve yet to visit one, I’m holding out for that one special day when I finally travel to Maine and then I will explore lighthouses to my heart’s content.

Both Waking Emma and Raising Riley (the story of Ethan & Riley and their special connection) are set in the Eastport area of Maine. While I have no idea when I will make that trip, today - when anything and everything seems possible and within my reach - I trust that I will walk the bricked streets that Riley has walked and I will visit the lighthouse that was instrumental in bringing her back to Ethan…

And, when I do, that will be yet another fulfillment of God’s love for me. It will be a moment in time that is missed by many but will be appreciated fully by those that it is meant for.

A little further south, but still on the Atlantic shoreline, is Ocean Isle. This beach, as well as the surrounding towns, are the setting of The Sycamore Manor series. Since I’m currently immersed in the middle of the second book of that series, North Carolina stays on my mind these days.

Again, while I’ve yet to visit The Winds, the research I’ve done on the place and the conversations I’ve had with the owners make it rich and vivid and very much alive in my mind and soul. I feel such a connection, and I know - because, again, today anything is possible - that I will very soon walk the beach that Kyle and Grace did, and I will write and read and relax in a place that already feels very much like home to me.

What about you? Is there a place  or a people that speaks to you? Today, a day when anything and everything feels well within our grasp, allow your dreams to take root. You’ll be amazed at just how much God cares about the dreams of our heart…