~~~~~
"We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems."
- Arthur O'Shaughnessy -
~~~~~
Hello Friend,
It’s been awhile! Come, have a seat for a moment and let’s catch up. There are two benches here – one for you and one for me – in case we need to obey the 6-foot COVID rule. When you’re rested, we’ll take a walk.
How are you adjusting to things in your world these days? Last year at this time were you dreaming different things for this moment in time? I know I was.
~~~~~
Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
Oscar Wilde
~~~~~
For one thing, The Cowboy and I were hoping to be almost moved into our dream home by now. “Designed for us, with others in mind” – that’s been the catchphrase attached to the place from the very beginning of the idea, many years ago.
The build was originally supposed to begin in April/May. But then COVID happened and one thing after another, piled on top of each other, has put the brakes on. Maybe we’ll be back on schedule next Spring. Maybe not.
~~~~~
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
~~~~~
The thing about dreams is, they don’t usually arrive by wishing them to appear. It’s true that sometimes the extraordinary happens, and something we didn’t even know we were dreaming of is standing right there in front of us. Those moments are rare though, aren’t they?
No, many dreams turn out to be hard work. Not hard to dream them, but hard to look them in the face. Hard work to bring them to fruition.
They sit there on your dream-shelf and teeter between petition and scorn. They can be a whiney child (please, please, please) or a mocking adversary (this will never happen, why even bother).
Or anything in-between.
~~~~~
Rarely, if ever, do we pray a simple prayer then watch as the desire of our hearts falls neatly into our hands. Instead, the best gifts … are those that invite our participation, our prayer, our desire, and only then, when we have so much more to give, our gratitude. Because ‘a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.’
Christie Purifoy [Placemaker]
~~~~~
Some dreams stay on the dream-shelf, gradually diminishing, until they disappear altogether. They were never meant to flourish.
Other dreams are taken down to study and work little by little, and as we do they seem to shift and change until we no longer recognize or even remember the original. I suppose that’s not a bad thing, as long as we can keep the primary vision in focus, instead of getting stuck in the grief of what might have been.
At times, it takes everything we’ve got to keep our gaze intently fixed on the goal while all around us seems to be falling apart, clamouring to batter us off course. COVID19 and all of the unrest in the world has been that mayhem this year. Wouldn’t you agree?
~~~~~
Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.
Lao Tzu
~~~~~
And yet, despite the turmoil, a couple of dreams are coming true at this moment in time. Remember I told you how Babe was using her extra Covid-time-at-home to work on some compositions? Well, her new album is now complete and was released this weekend. Inspired by her childhood home, the lyrical instrumental pieces will lead you to quiet places of wonder. It’s available on most streaming platforms but you can check it out here.
Another dream about to come true is the book my writers’ group, Writers’ Café, has been working on for a few years. Hope Connections is a collection of our stories and poems, and it took a massive push, through Covid, to get it moving and published. It should be in our hands next week! Very exciting. (Meet the authors and stay updated here.)
~~~~~
A book is a dream that you hold in your hands.
Neil Gaiman
~~~~~
So, not all dreams are a bust during these crazy confusing times. I don’t know what’s on your dream-shelf, but it’s worth taking one or two down and having a look at them again. What are they doing today? Are they pleading, or scorning, or wagging their tails like eager puppies? Have they shifted and changed into something more malleable? More doable? Or do they still need more time on the shelf?
Don’t give up on your dreams. The Father of Dreams hasn’t given up on you.
~~~~~
I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau
~~~~~
Well, that was a refreshing walk wasn’t it? And here we are at another bench, just in time. Thank you for joining me today. You have lifted my spirits and I hope you feel lifted as well.
As you leave, please listen to Sara Bareilles’s Soft Place to Land. I recently came across this song, from the Broadway musical, Waitress. It’s about dreams, and the harmonies are exquisite.
Stay safe out there, and see you next time.
~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~
Featured Image by Pepper Mint from Pixabay
~~~~~
Such a compelling title…
And this line–I love the word picture: “They sit there on your dream-shelf and teeter between petition and scorn.”
Haha. I imagine these little creatures sitting on the shelf mocking me or begging. Funny how my brain makes inanimate objects and ideas animated. Thanks for the comment, Bobbi. 🙂
Thankfully, so glad to hear that not all your dreams, Joy, have been a bust this year. Though it seems to be the cycle of life on planet earth; even as some dreams are shattered, others burst into life. Life tends to be a mix of life and death, bitter and sweet. Learning to grab hold of the sweet as it goes by, certainly helps to make the bitter stuff more bearable. What did Mary Poppins say, Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down?
You must be so pleased and proud of your daughter’s new music album. And I look forward to your writing group’s new hope-themed anthology. Evidence that there are silver linings behind dark clouds.
It was lovely to image going for a walk with you — even if only in my imagination. Ambling through all this autumn beauty and sharing with an amiable friend must surely lift the weight from hearts bent down. I know I’m glad I came today.
Best blessings and wishes for a beautiful day…
Brenda xo
Yes, wasn’t that a lovely walk? There’s something so settling about being beside still water on a colourful autumn day. Thanks for joining me, Brenda. 🙂
What a lovely walk that was, Friend. I like to dream and imagine and your words took me to a beautiful, dreamy place. I really like the song too—such a dreamy voice.
Yes, it was a lovely walk. Thanks for coming along, Connie. The voice – since finding Sara Bareilles I’ve been listening to more of her music and really enjoying it.
Lovely, Joy. The idea that when we take our dreams off the shelf, and work at them slowly, sometimes they change to where we no longer remember the original dream, or we need to them go into something else particularly resonated with me today. Letting go isn’t easy but practicing presence is the key, I think, that includes really seeing the beauty of nature like the photo you chose show!
I think you’ve hit on something there, Lynn: “letting go isn’t easy but practicing presence is the key.” Thanks for visiting today.