Dreams

Life is richer when I indulge in dreams. Some of my dreams have come true, some haven't. My dreams of becoming a dancer are long-gone, but my dreams of being a writer are still coming true.
My children have dreams, too. As their mom, I cheer them on as they pursue their dreams--and I console them when a dream shatters.
At four, Christa doesn't understand that not all dreams come true. She lives in the realm of Anything is Possible. (Never destroy the innocence of childhood.)
I'm not going to tell Christa that unicorns are not real. I'm not going to tell her that wishing upon a star is a waste of her time. And, if she wants to believe in Happily Ever After, there's plenty of time to tell her what a real marriage looks like--when she needs to know. (25 years of marriage taught me that Happily Ever After is a highly edited take on marriage. But a four-year-old doesn't need to know that!)
My older kids have dreams, too. I think they all believe in true love, even as they've watched their parents experience real-life love. At one time, Josh dreamed he had Vulcan blood flowing through his veins. (Thank you, Mr. Spock.) Okay, that dream is over. But, his dream of writing a bestselling novel is being pursued with even more passion than compiling all the original Star Trek episodes. (Thank you, Grandad.)
Katie Beth dreams of being a nurse and Amy dreams of travelling overseas or being a professional chef.
As their mom, I am privileged to hear my children's dreams--whether it is discovering the land of rainbow, sparkling unicorns or browsing through travel books with my seventeen-year-old. I want my children to dream--and reach for the stars.