Dream
Boat
Every wish upon every star is guided by the
gentle ache of a yearning heart.
Every birthday candle extinguished in sputtering gusto kindles a tiny
flame of longing. And, with every wishbone wrestled to a resounding
snap, a wisp of hope is released to seek its fortune. Even when
they put away childish things, when little girls grow into women they
should take their dreams with them.
Dreams can be fragile things. They can be crushed in a hard
world or crumbled by harsh words. But they can also be the foundation
for a fulfilled life. That is true even for the littlest of dreams. It
is true even of great dreams that have been traded in for lesser ones.
In 2000 years, women really have come a long way. But, there
is a price in time and responsibility. A woman in 1703 knew her
dreams of owning property, going to college, or divorcing her husband
were impossible. A woman in 2003 can do all those things, but it can
stretch her resources, perhaps to the limit and sometimes way past
it.
A dream can be the thread that holds the pieces- mind, body and spirit
- together. It can be the blueprint for every move or it can be a
footnote to the main text. A dream expressed becomes a plan. There
can be one or there can be many. Either way, dreams are the sweet
center in the chocolate. Abandoned and disregarded, they can
leave a bitter aftertaste.
Small dreams, deemed “foolish” because no one will get
paid for them, are the ones that get thrown overboard first. The
adversity of daily living seems to preclude such frivolous designs. Pet
a dolphin. Stand under a giant redwood tree. Visit the national
parks. Ride a snowmobile. Hold a falcon. Learn to paint. Drink
a toast with Dom Perignon. Eat desert first. Finish a half
marathon. Such little dreams, it’s easy to toss them aside,
but they are so satisfying in their way, better to gather and keep
them, cherished like a collection of semiprecious stones, to enjoy
on dark, colorless days.
Bigger dreams can turn the fabric of our lives into tapestry. Go
back to school. Become a nurse, or a dentist, or a veterinarian. Buy
a house. Start a business. Be the best. Create something
new. Write a book. Run for office. Try out for the
Olympics. These are the dreams that let us soar. They challenge
our integrity and our strength. Sometimes the dreams change. Sometimes
they change what we believe. They make us proud and not necessarily
happy, but complete. They give those without a dream of their
own the opportunity to share someone else’s. That’s
a gift that flows two ways and fills both. Big dreamers are good
for humanity.
The middle dreams are often eroded by lack of money and time. The
Paris trip turns into freshman year for a daughter. The starter
house becomes permanent because it’s paid for. There’s
Buick in the garage, not a Jag. There was never enough time to
build the greenhouse. Some dreams aren’t meant to be. Some
aren’t dreams as much as old friends, familiar reruns of a favorite
show. We never really give them up; we just wait them out.
Sometimes just the dream is pleasure enough. But if the ache
is strong, when it matters very much, catch the dreamboat. Take
the wish upon a star to the SBA, or WVU or Garnet Center or anyone
willing to help move mountains -and make the dream come true.
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