To be honest, I really haven’t been following the royal wedding craze. I mean, there is so much going on in the world, it just didn’t interest me. A wife and work-at-home boy mom of 2, including one toddler, I am shut off from the world at times. My husband doesn't come from a royal bloodline, but he is my king and my two little princes are just as handsome as any prince charming. Anyway, with soccer practice and games, homework, end of year activities, potty training and nonstop cartoons on the TV, who has time?
It wasn’t until Mother’s Day when my family gave me the day off that I decided to watch “Harry & Meghan A Royal Romance” on Lifetime that I took notice. My day was amazing, if I may add. I knew the story, of course, but it didn’t hit me until last Sunday that a girl with a story similar to mine is marrying a real live prince.
Let me explain. I’m a bit older than the soon-to-be princess, but like Meghan, I am of mixed heritage. I am also from Los Angeles. In fact, we didn’t live that far away from one another. I went to all girl’s Catholic high school. Immaculate Heart was somewhat our rival school. Several of my college friends went there. So did my very own cousin who once worked for Laura Bush while she was First Lady in the White House. Tyra Banks attended Immaculate Heart too! In my 20s, I also dabbled in the entertainment industry there in Hollywood. We have a lot in common.
“Oh gosh,” thought the little girl inside of me, "This could have been me!" This could happen to you. It’s all rather exciting to me now as Meghan Markle, like Barack Obama is going to change the dynamic for little boys and girls everywhere. Whether they’re black or brown, white or yellow, or of mixed race, have freckles, are ordinary everyday people, rich or royal, today's kids will have their own princess to look up to. Sure, many of us are living a fairytale kind of love, but we are not in the public eye. This story brings the dream to reality.
Falling in love with royalty isn’t like building up a career in politics or running for office, but Meghan now makes this dream real. What little girl hasn't dreamed of being a princess? Disney gave us Tiana and Moana, and a few other varieties of princesses, but Meghan is not animated. She is of African American heritage. She is an actress. She is an American. Most importantly, she is a real person! She and Harry are breaking down the odds. The chances of marrying a real-life prince or princess are slim, but dreams make life worth living. Dreams keep the magic of childhood alive in us all.
Here are eight reasons why I think dreams are good for us:
1. Chasing our dreams give us courage.
2. Chasing our dreams builds self-confidence because when we truly believe in our dream, we believe in ourselves.
3. Dreams increase hope and decrease negativity in our lives.
4. Having dreams builds character because when dreams don’t come true, we learn about failure. You can quit, or you can keep going but when you persist, you learn that failure is necessary for success.
5. Chasing our dreams keeps us young because it’s reminiscent of the magic we loved as kids. Dreaming is timeless; you are never too old or too young!
6. Dreaming gives us purpose and depth.
7. Dreams spark creativity as you can tailor your dream any way you like.
8. Our dreams can define who we are. Once a dream is accomplished we can prove to others that we are in control of who we are and no one else can dictate what we can and cannot accomplish.
This really is bigger than Harry and Meghan. It’s about purpose. We can accomplish anything we want in life if we work hard and we stand for something. Dreams ignite passion is all I’m saying. Harry fell in love with Meghan and he stood behind it despite tradition. To me, he’s the real hero.
I can't say that I'll be watching on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m., but I will be following Harry and Meghan's journey. I am interested to see how she will handle her new role. I hope she understands the magnitude of what's happening and her responsibility to lead the next gen of potential princes and princesses around the world. . . and even some us older ones! :-)
Keep Dreaming!
Kristen
