DREAMS COME TRUE was the theme for the 2014 Rose Parade, and it was a dream come true in so many ways!
First, it was a dream come true for me! Since I was a little girl and watched the parade on black and white television, I’ve wanted to be there in person. Over 50 years of dreaming and I was not disappointed. No, not one little bit! So many things in life are over-rated, but not this parade.
The Rose Parade has stayed true to its roots with floats and bands and pretty girls on horses. You won’t see the latest and greatest rock stars performing, but you will see true beauty, creativity, dedication, and hard work! The show started with the Blue Angels flying over the parade route and was non-stop entertainment for two hours. We were almost two miles from the start of the parade, but the performers kept on smiling and strutting and putting on a show when they must have been exhausted. Think about carrying a drum or tuba for 5 miles!
Second, it was a DREAM COME TRUE for the high school bands from Tennessee, Alaska, Japan and many other areas. Can you imagine the fund raisers it took to send those young musicians to California? Can you imagine all of the practices and personal sacrifices?
Third, the Rose Bowl was a DREAM COME TRUE for the Michigan State fans! We are actually SEC and ACC fans, but we were lucky enough to scalp some tickets at the last minute to the game. I want to tell you that I’m the newest Sparty Fan! (For those of you who don’t follow college football, that’s a Michigan State fan.) We ended up sitting in the MSU section with the most enthusiastic, supportive, positive fans in the country. They were just precious singing their school songs and doing their cheers. (I get goose bumps thinking about how much they love their team.) The fact that they won the Rose Bowl after 25 years without their defensive leader was amazing. There are other “behind the scenes” stories that will make you LOVE the game. I’ll never forget the Stanford players going into the end zone individually and getting down on one knee to pray before the game!
The whole event is a DREAM COME TRUE for our country! It represents the BEST of what America stands for. Think about this…a day before the parade people start staking their claim along the parade route with tape and chalk. They bring in sofas, blow up beds, grills, propane heaters, coolers, chairs, sleeping bags, food, games, etc. and “hunker down” all day and all night just to watch the parade. Nobody fights or argues or acts like they are entitled to anything. They are there to watch a parade and have a good time with friends and people they love. Every nationality, gender, age, economic level comes together peacefully and happily to celebrate the New Year in a beautiful, meaningful, joyful way. Oh, and it’s all FREE! Doesn’t get any better than that!
I feel so blessed to have had the experience of the parade and football game. Put it on your bucket list because DREAMS COME TRUE every day! And you know what? You'll make DREAMS COME TRUE for the children in your classroom in 2014 - it's TRUE!