Castles in the Air

I feel like I'm walking a very fine line between my dreams and my reality. One doesn't function well without the other, but I'm trying to learn the balance that makes the most sense for me. When I was younger I lived so much in my own head, dreaming of big things that were some day going to happen, and I missed most of what was going on around me.

Dreams that don't come true are very painful things. I think I learned this in my late twenties, and politely stuffed my dreams deep down inside, buried with a layer of busyness and material things, so I wouldn't have to face up to them for a few years. I had my two babies, became consumed with them, and began a slow process of simplifying my life so I could once again access those forgotten dreams.

Someone asked me recently if I thought you were ever too old to pursue your dreams. My emphatic answer? No. Never. As in, "Until you draw your last breath, you can go after what it is you want in this life." I do believe that there are seasons for things; specific times for certain events to happen, but that doesn't mean you should ever give up on your right to be happy. The successful people in this world aren't lucky, but rather persistent. They get knocked down and stand up again, to keep on going in the direction they want to go.

I think it goes back to the quote I have in my bathroom from Henry David Thoreau: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." Dreams have their place, but we must walk them out with lead boots firmly planted on the ground. It may take many, many years, but time is immaterial. It's the decision not to quit that counts.

Our dreams are meant to soar in the sky, but our feet are meant to walk on this earth, and that means being present with those in our lives. I am here today, and I want to fully engage with my family and friends to embrace living as deeply as I can, while I continue to nourish my dreams and move toward fulfilling them.