Grandma's Stories

When I was a young child my grandma told many stories to my cousins and me. These cousins of mine, Burt and Lee Morris and Jimmy Ray did some amazing things. But we’ll talk about those another time. Meanwhile, these stories went on for hours at a time and were even continued from one day to the next. Many of her stories related to the big fish we caught and all of the fabulous adventures we had together. Sometimes the fish were so big we had to help each other to haul them in.
Of course we made lots of money and had the biggest and fanciest boats, cars homes and life was good. Even though we did many things independently, we usually functioned as a team.
In many ways we grew up trying to live those stories. My cousin, Jim has on occasion been a commercial fisherman while Burt has always enjoyed his boats. Although I have gone on to other things, I always feel drawn to that place on the river that was the setting for grandma’s stories. I even wrote a song about Grandma and the stories she would tell but I will save that for another letter.
It's not unusual for stories to become dreams in the minds of young men and women. And, perhaps for most people, those dreams may never have been realized. There may be many reasons for this. Even though people may be presented with opportunities, it's not unusual for them to shy away from their dreams.
People are naturally resistant to change even when they know that their lives will be improved. Many people don't feel deserving of a better life. Perhaps most often, dreams are put on hold out of necessity while the business of raising a family and/or other obligations is given the attention they deserve. Once these obligations are fulfilled, people may not have the same interests. They may lack the energy and necessary resources to attain their dreams and simply give up. Unfortunately, many of these people may not realize that resources may be readily available to them if they only knew where to look or had the ability to recognize those resources when they are presented.
You might be wondering, "Who is this guy and why is he telling me these things?" My name is Lee Parent, and I assure you that I am not trying to sell anything. I have spent the greater part of my adult life as a clinical social worker helping people deal with the changes in their lives. I learned early on that when people have an understanding of their situation and have appropriate information and support, they will make good decisions and get on with their lives in a more functional and satisfying manner. The reason I am telling you these things is that I have information that might be beneficial to you.
Now I realize that you just might be one of those people who are living your dreams, in which case, I wish you continued success.  If, on the other hand, you are still struggling to succeed, I hope you will get something of value from what I have to say.  I will be writing more again soon and include the words to the song I wrote about Grandma and her stories.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Perhaps your grandma was a teller of stories as well.  I would like to hear about her.
Lee Parent