I doubt seriously that I will be a professional basketball player. That was my dream at age ten, but it is a ridiculous dream at age seventy-two! But I might dream of going to a professional basketball game sometime, or even watching one of my own grandchildren play on a team. Dreams are an important part of life. The loss of a dream happens to all of us at some point, and with the loss of a dream comes grief. It’s just that way.
But do we stop dreaming because of it? An article for the Tribune News Service, by
Judi Light Hopson, points out that the pleasure of a dream is in the
planning. “It’s uplifting to fantasize
about what could happen,” she says.
Our dreams and fantasies definitely change as we
age. It might even take some practice getting
back into dreaming about some positive future goal. Maybe it is reading more novels, or writing
one! Maybe it is learning more about the
world, its geography, and planning a trip, regardless of whether you will be
able to go. I remember having fun as a
nine-year-old riding my bike to many continents and countries of the world,
right in my neighborhood. There was
nothing like racing my neighbor across the lawn to Madagascar or Hong Kong or
Australia!
Judi Light Hopson says that the chasing of dreams
can actually reduce stress. She suggests having some big goals, but breaking
them down into small steps. You might want to visit Santiago, Chile, but COVID
and other factors prohibit it right now.
Maybe you can research Chile, find the best beaches in January, or the
various means of transportation (are there sleeper trains or river boats?), or
the best restaurants in a given city. Keeping
a file on your research is a first step toward realizing that travel dream.
I have a friend who has been married for fifty-one
years. For the last three years his wife
has been in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s disease. She cannot speak to him, but he sees her and
visits regularly. There are no dreams they are able to share together, but he
has decided to dream again despite what seems like a hopeless future together
for them. He dreams of playing golf and enjoying the beauty of nature as he
plays. He recently purchased a second home, a small condominium on a lake in a
golf community, where he can get away and go enjoy a round of golf. It was one way to invest some money, as well
as to provide some needed respite.
Can you go ahead and dream without the worry about
whether you’ll see the dream fulfilled? Could you allow the dream to carry you
through any present difficulty you may be experiencing? Who knows, maybe
dreams can come true, even in ways you never expected! And if they don’t come
true, at least you have enjoyed the wonderful gift of imagination.
…and dreams may come true!
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