Standing in front of the Napoleon monument in Corsica.

They do love their son, Napoleon. I stood there with them in Corsica. I watched them, feeling him. I was so happy for them, gazing with such pride. I walked with them, closer, as the gravel moved softly beneath their feet , closer and closer to their hero, I could feel their excitement build. I felt it too, not so much for myself, but for them, and I was truly happy. A bit envious, maybe, in a good way. We all need a hero from time to time. I thought about the stories and legends and it didn’t really even matter to me if they were true, I celebrated the belief.

I walked by Napoleon’s childhood cave – the cave where they said he looked to the sea and dreamed of what he would be…. What he could do… And a little part of me knew that child…. Heard the waves that he rode on in his youthful dreams. I had heard them too, at Lake Latoka . I would not have a throne or a moment. I would have a diving tower. I would dive. Taking a leap of faith. Conquer not nations, but my own fear. And I would believe.

I sat in the shade of the trees that surrounded the moment, and I didn’t have to envy their joy or hope or pride… I believed too… In the possibility of it all… In the possibility of looking out over the water and having a dream… In the possibility of letting the waves carry you… And I was alive!

My husband’s father is buried in Corsica. We searched for his monument alone, no crowds, but I felt the same reverence. This man had dreamed his own dreams. Married his Lucie, gave life to his sons, one of whom would conquer my heart. Legends are real. I stood in front of one, and beside one, in Corsica.