Just Let Me Dream

Has anyone else had that Beaches song stuck in their head ever since Off Campus used it? You know the one where she sings, “She’s a fire sign… and I don’t even know what that means.”

Every time I hear that line, I laugh because I don’t really know what it means either.

I do know I’m a water sign, though.

Whether astrology means anything to you or not, I’ve started noticing something interesting. If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you’ve probably realized that most of the photos I use are sunsets, lakes, oceans, rivers… water.

Not only are they captivating to me, but also that’s where I feel most like myself.

Put me beside the water, and something in me settles. My shoulders drop. My mind gets quieter. I breathe a little deeper. It’s where I feel the most grounded, the most peaceful, and somehow the most hopeful.

I’m also an adamant ritual seeker. Every full moon, you’ll find a jar of water sitting outside. Do I know if moon water actually does anything? Not really. But it makes me happy, gives me a reason to pause for a minute, and honestly… just let me dream, okay?

Who knows, maybe it has nothing to do with zodiac signs at all.

My stepdaughter was at the park with her kids recently when a crow landed nearby and just… stared at her. Not for a second or two, but long enough that it caught her attention. Knowing I’m the person who always believes in these signs as much as she does, she mentioned it to me and asked if there was meaning behind it. So, I looked it up in my book of animal signs.

Interestingly enough it said “Maybe he’s studying your face so he’ll know who to bring a gift to.”

A week later, she slipped on a jacket she hadn’t worn in quite a while, reached into the pocket, found money and had no idea where it came from.

Did the crow have anything to do with it? Who knows? Was it a coincidence? Most likely. But every time I think about it, I smile. Sometimes life is just more fun when we leave a little room for wonder.

Maybe that’s why people have lucky socks, can’t start their day without their morning coffee, make a wish when they blow out birthday candles, or instinctively pick up a penny they find on the sidewalk. Although, thanks to inflation and the fact that Canada got rid of pennies years ago, maybe we should be picking up dimes now. Then again… maybe the pennies are even luckier because they’re harder to find.

Either way, I think we all have little rituals that make life feel just a bit more hopeful.

We all have a place that reminds us who we are. For some people it’s the mountains. For others it’s the woods, a garden, a hockey rink, or their grandmother’s kitchen.

Mine has always been the water.

I’ve never really questioned why water has always calmed me. I guess it’s the sound or because it’s always moving, reminding me that nothing stays the same forever. Every difficult conversation, every overwhelming season, somehow feels a little smaller when I’m looking out at a beautiful body of water.

So whether the stars have anything to do with it or not… I think I’ll keep chasing sunsets along the shoreline.

Is there a place that instantly makes you feel calmer? Or a little ritual you do that probably doesn’t make logical sense but somehow makes life feel just a little better?

You can tell me.

I’ll be the one by the water… putting out my moon water once a month and quietly hoping there’s a little magic left in the world.