How Long Does it Take to Reach a Dream?

Sometimes dreams take a little longer than we expect, but with perseverance and belief, they will come true – all in good time.

Many years ago I had a stained glass art studio that I loved. Through divorce and the challenges of life, I lost my studio. I packed the materials, knowing that I’d have one again, but I didn’t know where or when.

For the last year I’ve been working on a project inside Glacier National Park, called Glacier Bear Retreat. As you might know, we bought an old cabin, removed it from the property and built our new home, Glacier Bear. It’s been a labor of love for nearly a year. As part of the project, we rebuilt the old art studio there too.

Today, I unpacked my first box in the art studio, filled with pieces of glass from my original studio. The various colors jumped out at me, reminding me of the creations I’d already made years ago from them, as my head was filled with ideas for these brilliant “glass crayons”. I was already creating new masterpieces, just from looking at the glass and imagining what could be.

As I unwrapped the pieces, I was surprised to see the date on the newspaper – 2000. Wow! Had it really been 14 years since I lovingly wrapped those pieces, determined to see them again soon? Fourteen years, five states and six moves later, they have finally found their home.

When I wrapped them in 2000, I had no idea how long it would take or the path that they would take. I only knew that someday they would find their way to my new studio… and today, they did. Interestingly enough, today is the one-year anniversary of when we purchased this property in Glacier National Park. What an amazing anniversary gift!

We all have dreams and if you’re anything like me, I’m sure you also wonder when some of your dreams will manifest in your life. It might not take 14 years, or it might even take a little longer. The important part is that you don’t give up hope or lose sight of the dream, no matter how long or how windy the path might be.

Today, I am filled with gratitude and inspired by these beautiful bits of color. It makes me smile to think of all the creations yet to be imagined that these colorful pieces will bring to life. I’m reminded once again that, as one dream is reached, another dream begins.