In Driftwood Dreams, book two in the Carolina Coast series by T.I. Lowe, Josie Slater has watched her dream drift on by. In the guest post below, see what T.I. Lowe had to say about her own experience pursuing a long-time dream and why it’s never too late to pursue your dream.
I once had a dream around the age of twelve, one that repeated itself throughout the ebb and flow of my adult life. I pretty much ignored it until I turned thirty-eight. The dream of becoming a writer became so overwhelming that I would secretly write stories just to take the edge off. And even though that desire to write had grown to an overwhelming point, there was an inner voice that was much louder. That voice in my head told me I had waited too long and that it was best to just let it go. I’d watched it drift farther and farther away, much like a piece of driftwood being sent out with the tide. The window to haul it back in before it drifted too far away seemed to be closing rapidly.
You see, I was nearing forty with no formal education in writing, a full-time mom, and also a caregiver for my dying mother. No room for dreaming is what that voice kept reiterating. The voice told me that to dream of becoming a writer would be selfish and even more than that, silly.
I believed that voice was the voice of reason. Turns out it was nothing more than a voice of fear. Oh, it held me tight and was quite skilled at making me believe the delusion of being past the point of dreaming, but then I had a rude awakening.
Witnessing my mother face her own mortality and listening to her share her regrets and what-ifs, I was able discern the voice of fear as it made itself known more clearly in her reflection. It was a reflection I didn’t want to carry to my very last breath on this side of heaven.
You see, as long as we are breathing, there is still time to go after the dreams we secretly carry, no matter if we’re twenty, forty, or ninety. I read this quote somewhere, and boy, does it hold a lot of truth: “I don’t regret the things I’ve done. I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.”
Josie Slater in Driftwood Dreams was probably the easiest character I’ve written who I could relate to. Her fears of becoming an artist sounded much like my fears of becoming a writer. Josie laid those dreams to the side to support her father. She allowed the dreams to drift away until August Bradford called her out on it. Ultimately, we will realize right along with Josie that no one can make our dreams come true but us. We have to claim what we want and put in the effort to make them happen.
My mother made me promise to share my writing with the world one day, and after her death I honored that promise. But I also keep her regrets close as reminders to continue to chase my dreams so that I can avoid living with regrets. I encourage you to do the same; no matter what the dream is, go for it. Take the steps and confide in those close to you who will be there to cheer you on.
Six years have passed since I published my first book, Lulu’s Café. So far, I’ve published sixteen books and have three completed manuscripts waiting for the right time to publish. It has taken a lot of work and dedication but been so worth the journey to laying claim to my lifelong
