It is a cool summer evening on a beach in Southern California. A man and woman are walking
together arm in arm, their bare feet making patterns in the soft sand. They looked a little like the odd couple. He is quite a bit younger than she is but you can tell from the smile on her face that this is a man she dearly loves. Her sweater, draped loosely over her shoulders, begins to slide and he gently puts it back into place, putting his arm about her to make sure it stays where it should.

There's a group of large boulders, perfect for seaside viewing. They stop and he chooses a boulder they can both sit on comfortably to watch the waves. She closes her eyes, listening to the waves roar as they come crashing down onto the sandy surface and then the soft, swishing sounds of the sea's 'fizzle' as bubbles of sea foam deflate in the retreating waters. He watches her, seeing the joy and the glow of love and life that fill her face.

At just the right moment he reaches into his pocket, takes out a small box and places it into her hands. She is so surprised. She opens this unexpected gift and to her delight finds two diamond stud earrings. "Oh", she says, "I have always dreamed of having diamond earrings all of my life. Thank you."

This is a true story but you haven't heard it all. The man is James (name changed) and the woman
is Lucy (named changed). James is Lucy's son. Lucy worked very hard all of her life, living through
difficult times, raising a family after James's father died, supporting the family the best she could; never allowing the children to forget their obligation to education and being responsible citizens. James can't remember his mother complaining about very much.

A particular incident stands out strongly in his memory. When he was just a small boy they had gone downtown to do some shopping. Walking hand-in-hand with his mother she stops at a jewelry store to admire the items in the window. His curiosity gets the better of him and he pulls at her skirt, wanting to see what it is she is 'oohing and aahing' about. She lifts him up, showing him all of the pretty things in the window's display. She points to a pair of diamond stud earrings. They sparkle in the light that illuminates the display. She says with great emotion, "One day I will have a pair of diamond earrings just like that!" He never forgets the look on her face.

Years go by, the children grow up and go each in their own direction. James comes home to visit as often as he can. The childhood memory returns full force when he takes Lucy to a new department store that has opened in town. There is a lovely fine jewelry department and of course, they stop to view the diamonds. His mother says smiling at him, "One day I will have a pair of diamond earrings just like those!" pointing to a pair of diamond stud earrings. It is at that moment he makes up his mind, he will see to it that her dream comes true.

Now, here they are, some time later, sitting on a boulder at their favorite beach. It's taken him a long time to bring her the diamonds she had always desired; his mother is now 70 years old. As she places them into her ears, a big smile fills her face. Turning her face towards her son James, she says, "Dreams really do come true, sometimes in the most surprising way". Donna Seebo

Would you like to get away from the hustle bustle of everyday responsibilities, be waited on all day
long by staff that only exists to make you happy, (~.~), well, then you need to plan on joining me on the 'Spirit of Alaska' cruise that I am hosting, September 2nd through 9th. It is the trip of a lifetime, filled with nature's massive beauty, caving glaciers and wildlife in their own habitat – it is wonderful to see! I will be giving two 'free' seminars during this luxury voyage and I would love to have you join me in this adventurous experience of visiting and viewing the 'power' of Alaska.

Cruise space fills up quickly, so give my travel associate, Linda Finch a call for reservations and
information: Contact Linda Finch, (800) 682-2251 or LKF@myexcel.com for
further information. LFK Enterprises, 32414 2nd Pl. S., Federal Way, WA 98003