50 Dreams, Wants and Wishes

I'm a little late...sorry!

Day 3 of our DIVA Retreat was amazing! We went to a local indiginous community school that has just been built and we painted the entire outside of the building and the outside of the little medical clinic that sits on the same property. The non-profit group that we are workign with here has built a mini-school along with a medi-clinic and a few small suites for accommodation for the indiginous people/famillies that travel nomadically through the area following the crops that they work to harvest. Chilli peppers have just been harvested. Mangos are not yet ready (too bad for us!).

We started the day with yoga on the beach, which was spectacular and then as we headed out to paint, we briefly introduced the idea of thinking about 50 small and large dreams, wants and wishes...to think about as we painted all day.

Painting was amazing! A full day of working hard, making a difference and talking/connecting with one another in the process. I think everyone had a great time!

There were some kids that were still at the school (most have moved on to follow the next crop elsehwere). They were beautiful!!!






















Mom,
Mel and I are participating in the process of the retreat just like everyone in the group and as I make my list of 50 dreams, wants and wishes, I realize that you have played a huge part in how I think and feel. I sort of believe that "anything is possible" and that there really are no obstacles. I'm so grateful for how you (somehow) instilled this in me b/c it's affected everything I do and everything I am.
I'll share my 50 dreams, wants and wishes when I complete them, and I hope you know how much it's meant to me that you always let me be free and never stifled or squashed my ideas over the years. I remember pivotal moments where you could have said no...but you said yes...and then stood back and watched (and probably prayed).
- Like when you lent me your car when I was 18 to drive to Winnipeg to get that job at Grand Beach for the summer....or when I went to Australia to be an exchange student...or when I wanted to play sports for different schools as a kid...or fix the lawn mower...or move to Kelowna...or bike across Canada...

Do you see all the times that saying "no" would have made it easier to be a parent...but instead you said "yes" and then just held the vision that it would all work out.
Thanks Mom.
Thanks for saying "yes"!
Love Crystal