A Reminder to Keep Dreaming

We're never too old, too busy or too discouraged to dream.

Four years ago, for Valentine’s Day, I purchased a book titled "Letters to My Love" for my now-husband. It's a small rectangular book with 10 blank pages, each featuring a sentence starter and a designated date for opening. In February 2020, I took the time to write 10 letters, to be opened on the following ten Valentine's Days.

This year marked the opening of the fifth letter. The sentence starter was, “it’s the little things like...” I proceeded to write about the small gestures and actions Trevor does that I cherish. Despite the passage of four years, much has remained unchanged.

Sitting on the beach, reading this letter aloud to him, a poignant realization washed over me. Embedded within the lines was a 21-year-old girl brimming with aspirations and dreams, both for herself and their shared future.

In the final paragraph, I expressed, “Lastly, I love when you tell me you love me. You talk about our future and me being your wife and the mother of our kids. I love when you talk about our house, the dogs outside, and baby ___.”

Now, as his wife of a year, reading those words, I realized that much of our dream lies ahead. However, I think we’d both admit that the challenges of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow have somewhat eclipsed the vibrant hope we once possessed for those dreams.

I'm certain we aren't alone in this struggle. Walking away from the beach, gazing into the sunset, I realized this is a lifelong challenge: never allowing age or stress to stifle our capacity to dream. Whether it's the demands of work, health issues, familial responsibilities, or the unpredictability of life, it's essential to carve out moments to dream.

Ben Rector's song "Dream On" embodies this sentiment perfectly. Here are a few lines that hit my heart:

“Do you ever get scared

Do you ever get sad

Do you forget the childhood dreams that you had

Hoped it'd be better but things turned out bad and all went wrong”

“When I was younger I played make-believe

Now when I close my eyes I just fall asleep

If you live long enough life will make you believe that they're gone

Dream on

Dream on

Even when you're afraid all your dreams may be gone

Just dream on

Dream on

When the world says you're crazy just tell them they're wrong and dream on”

Dreams fuel our hearts with hope for the future. Hope, in turn, propels us forward in pursuit of those dreams. Joy emanates from this pursuit, bringing happiness and fulfillment to our lives. And through joy, we attract love, for love is the greatest gift of all.

So, regardless of age, whether you're 9 or 99, keep dreaming. I am grateful for the reminder to do the same.

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The Good Stuff

This is a live version of the song I mentioned earlier. If you're feeling low on inspiration, hope, or dreams, add it to your playlist. It might resonate with you at just the right moment.

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Some Housekeeping…

Hi! It’s been a while since you heard from me. In December, I realized I was writing just to check it off my to-do list. That’s never been the reason I write, and I never wanted it to be that way. All of my words come from deep in my heart, with the hopes of inspiring and lifting up my readers. So, with that in mind, you'll hear from me when I feel moved with the words and thoughts that accomplish that mission.

Lastly, I hope your new year is off to a great start! Talk soon…