No Coincidences

"Get out of my room," I yell over and over, but the large thing does not move. Eventually, she jumps out the window. I quickly run out of bed and gaze as the cow slowly gallops through a large green meadow and fades into the woods. At that moment, I awake as I had several times before without ever understanding my dream. I must have had this dream at least 3 or 4 times when I was young, and it was always the same. I awake and there is a cow in my room, but it is not my room; it is a small cabin somewhere I do not recognize, and there at the foot of my bed is a black and white cow like the ones in the milk commercials.

Ten years later, I discovered the essence of my recurring dream. On a whim and after having just bought our first home, my husband and I were invited to visit the Smoky Mountains. Of course, I wanted to go and so we set off on a journey that would change my life forever. I will not bore you with details of that trip, except to say it was magical for me. We returned many times to the Appalachian Mountains after that staying in a different town, hiking a different trail and traveling new roads. Every time we returned home to Florida, my mind raced with ideas and wishes. The rivers and streams that ran through valleys and emptied into the lakes, the snowy peaks, the orange glowing hills and even the sunsets left me breathless and wanting more.

I believe in dreaming and visualizing the things I want. As a young girl I daydreamed, and as a young adult I wrote lists or created vision boards (see Tim Ralston's Official Vision Board Blog) When the time came to plan for a vacation and future retirement home, the decision was easy. I wanted to live near the Smoky Mountains or Blue Ridge Mountains anywhere as long as I lived near the mountains. So, I prepared a list of requirements and specifications for my realtor at that time. I had a clear picture in my mind of how my dream home in the mountains would look and feel. However, my realtor at the time was one of those "I can't...I don't think it is possible" kind of person. She had read my list and claimed that I wanted too much for such a limited budget. On my list I included, among others things, long range views, easy access, lots of land and the genuine desire for a baseball field for my sons. I could just see her in my mind when she received my list. A baseball field? She must be dreaming? Well, I was dreaming and I had been most of my life.

After two years of casual searching on our own this time, we stumbled on a piece of property without much expectation. As my husband and I drove down the gravel road, accompanied by Bill the sales agent, I immediately noticed the long easy road lined with Christmas trees. And they were real. Wow...and then I saw the laurels on the other side of the gravel road. The property faced west with long range and short range majestic views, a creek at the bottom, complete privacy and more amenities than I thought possible. The most remarkable part, you may find hard to believe, was when Bill pointed to an open field, a little less than an acre and said, "by the way that flat piece would be yours too. " To every one's surprise, but mine of course, this place had a "baseball field" the one I had been told countless times would be impossible up in the mountains and with my budget. And there it was right in front of us. To make matters creepier, I cannot forget my husband's reaction when he asked Bill, "Is that Grandfather Mountain over there?" My husband's jaw dropped when Bill said "yes." Needless to say, my husband was hooked. He needed no further sales pitch, and he was ready "to sign and drive. " I, on the other hand, needed to "keep looking." Can you believe that? I found my "Field of Dreams" a place where we could ride horses, watch the sunset from our back porch and play baseball on our own field. What could be better? Well, three days later, we came back and signed on the dotted line. There are no coincidences in life. I had seen this place so many times before in my dreams, the ones I had while I slept and the ones I craved when I was awake.

And so, do I believe that if you build build it, they will come? Of course I do. Anything is possible. I will not allow others to dictate my path or my journey or limit my life. If I had listened to every one who said, "no," "can't" or "impossible," I would have accomplished very little in my life. In the end, I may have never found my "Piece of Heaven."

Our views to the west...............