Blog: Have You Ever Wished You Could? #cutemeet #lightheartedromance #MFRWauthor

Have you every wished you could do something but were too embarrassed to do so? Or to shy? Or worried about what others would think?



I grew up a shy girl. I know that might contradict with what you know about me now. I love meeting new people and doing fun things. And as for embarrassing myself? Well, the likelihood of meeting those folks again is zilch.



I have always had in the background these wishes—

I wish I could draw/paint (and I don’t mean the walls of the house. I can do that). I’ve never had an

art lesson. The closest I ever came was a wine and paint class. I didn’t do badly because the instructor gave great directions. And now, I’m happy expressing myself through stitching embroidery and needlepoint. So maybe I'm okay with not learning how right now.



I wish I could dance. All I wanted in high school was to be a member of the dance team. But there was one drawback-I’d never had a dance lesson. I tried out my sophomore year and didn’t make it. In my junior year, I decided to be a manager based on the prior year.  I worked out with the other girls and could do what they did. So why didn’t I try? The teacher agreed to let me. I high-kicked my way perfectly. But jazz dance? That’s where no training showed. The teacher must have known how much I wanted to be a dance team member. She told me I’d have to work extra hard (which I did). And as a married woman, I found Jazzercise and have been happily dancing ever since.

I wish I could write. Ever since I read Dick Francis’ mysteries, I had the urge to write. But I had no guts. I knew deep inside I couldn’t take the rejection. After a friend pushed me to try, I felt more comfortable in my writing shoes. I worked and worked and joined Romance Writers of America and the local chapter. There I made friends and honed my craft. I had the rejections, but I’d learned how to handle that and plowed on. I’m glad I did. I’ve learned so much and grown immensely.



I know many of you have had “I wishes.” Is it too late? What would you do?


Creativity abounds in this fun, light-hearted, cute-meet collection:

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Michelle Miles: Milestones

I’m supposed to be working on a weekly report and an agenda for a meeting. Instead I’m thinking about milestones and the next phases of life.

My son recently graduated from high school. Don’t we look awesome in this picture? I’m very proud of all he’s accomplished.

People have been congratulating me, which I thought was odd. I mentioned it to my husband. He looked at me like I’d grown a third head. “Am I going to have to explain this to you, really?”

So, he did.

All those times I got him up and ready for school, even when he didn’t want to go.
All those school lunches I made.
All those school functions I volunteered to chaperone.
All those school parties.
All those band concerts/competitions/football games.
All those times I was a shuttle/taxi/chauffeur.
All those birthday parties.
All those school plays.
All those band fees I happily paid for because I knew he was doing something he loved.
All those times I sat with him at the kitchen table and helped with homework. And then when I couldn’t help him, made sure he was turning in school work.
All those times I pushed him to do something I knew he should do because he would regret it if he didn’t.
All those times I bought him school clothes and supplies.
All those times I took him to the doctor/dentist/orthodontist/eye doctor. ALL.THOSE.TIMES.
Most of these things I did by myself because I was a single mom.

And, of course, that’s not all. We are now entering the next phase of his life. He was awarded a scholarship to the community college. He’s enrolled and registered and begins his next adventure in the fall.

As we were leaving graduation, his 4th grade and 5th grade teachers made their way to us outside the convention center and hugged him and congratulated him. I can’t even begin to express how wonderful that was that not only did they remember HIM, but they remembered ME, too. And made a point to find him in the crowd.

What he doesn’t know is that this time in his life is special. It’s fleeting. I’m sure he’ll have some regrets—we all do. He can’t see into the future like I can and that’s okay. That’s part of growing up.

There are many more milestones to come. As we age, we hit different ones. College graduation. Marriage. Deaths. Raising kids. New jobs. Job changes. Hitting those “big” birthdays. I guess I’m feeling nostalgic and a little sad that this phase is over. But you know what? The best is yet to come.