I don't know if this is too weird to say, but this is completely

Lily Collins once confessed with awe, "I don't know if this is too weird to say, but this is completely surreal for me. Bizarre. The cover of 'Teen Vogue' has been on my bucket list forever." Within these words lies the trembling joy of a dream fulfilled, the sacred collision of imagination and reality. She speaks not merely of a magazine cover, but of the longings of the heart, the hopes planted in youth, which blossom after years of labor and perseverance. It is a cry that reveals the strange beauty of surreal achievement—when something once distant and unattainable suddenly stands before you, tangible, undeniable.

The origin of this declaration is tied to Collins’ rise as an actress and model. From her youth, she gazed upon magazines like Teen Vogue, symbols of style, youth culture, and recognition. For her, to be upon that cover was not only a career milestone but a personal dream long cherished. It was a symbol that the years of effort, the sacrifices, and the doubts had not been in vain. In calling it "bizarre" and "surreal," she testifies to the wonder that overtakes the human spirit when what was once imagined in quiet moments becomes visible for the whole world to see.

This experience echoes across history. Consider Neil Armstrong, who as a boy looked to the stars and dreamed of flight. When he finally stepped upon the moon, he too described the moment in terms almost beyond comprehension. What had been a childhood vision became a world-altering reality. His words, like Collins’, carried that same astonishment: the realization that what begins as a distant spark of desire can become flesh, stone, or ink upon a cover. The bizarre becomes possible, and the surreal becomes the ground we stand upon.

The heart of Collins’ words is the mystery of the bucket list—those secret desires that give direction to our striving. To name a goal is to breathe life into it. To hold it close through years of trial is to give it roots. And when it finally comes to pass, it is not only victory, but also humility, for the soul recognizes the enormity of its blessing. Collins’ humility is clear: she admits the strangeness of her joy, the trembling disbelief that she, once the dreamer, has now become the one gazed upon.

This reveals an eternal truth: the things that seem small to others may be immense to us. To some, a magazine cover is trivial. But to Collins, it was a symbol of belonging, of recognition, of having crossed a threshold. Each soul has its own sacred milestones. For one it may be standing upon a stage, for another it may be publishing a book, for another it may be providing a home for their family. The form matters less than the meaning. What matters is that we honor our deepest aspirations and rejoice when they are fulfilled.

Let this be a teaching to all: do not dismiss your dreams, no matter how strange, no matter how far away they seem. Write them, whisper them, guard them. They are seeds, and though many will lie dormant, some will burst forth in time. And when they do, the joy will feel surreal, as if reality itself bent to meet your longing. Do not fear that others will think your hopes foolish; even the loftiest achievements were once thought impossible.

Thus, children of tomorrow, when you stand in the moment of your fulfilled dream, embrace the strangeness of it. Call it surreal, call it bizarre, but cherish it with all your heart. For such moments are rare jewels in the crown of life, reminders that the impossible is not as distant as it seems. Carry them with gratitude, and let them fuel new dreams, for one fulfilled desire is not the end, but the beginning of another journey.

The lesson is clear: dream boldly, endure patiently, and rejoice humbly when the surreal becomes real. Write your bucket list, and let your life be the pilgrimage toward it. For though the path may be long, one day you too shall stand like Lily Collins, marveling at the strangeness of joy, whispering with astonishment that your dream has been made flesh.