How To Dream Like A Child

My children see infinite possibilities in life, whereas I consistently hinder my own future with self imposed restrictions.

This was revealed to me when a discussion about “the ultimate dream home” evolved to the stage where each family member began drafting plans – on backs on napkins, of course – for their personal utopia.  My own design was traditional and included details that only an uninspired adult would find dreamlike:  an extra large laundry room with state of the art equipment, a large kitchen with all the latest appliance upgrades, and a large garage and workroom.  I considered including luxuries such as a swimming pool or a tennis court, or perhaps a large entertainment room, but my imagination didn’t extend any farther.

My children, on the other hand, designed homes with the following elements:

• A medieval training field
• A dragon in the basement (for home security)
• Performance venues so that their favorite performers could entertain their friends and family
•  Hot air balloon field
• A private airstrip and hanger
• Olympic size swimming pool
• A movie theatre with reclining seats and a concession stand (everything free)
• Design elements such as turrets, towers, spiral staircases, secret passages, elevators, and escalators
• Carnival grounds for birthday parties
• A zoo of sorts – more of a home for lost, hurt or abandoned animals to live in peace
• A home chapel (ostensibly for their father’s ministry, although also handy for home “knighting ceremonies”)
• State of the art electronics throughout

I could go on – no, that’s not right.  I couldn’t go on, but they could.  I couldn’t come up with anything better than a high capacity washing machine.  (Twenty towels at once!  Woo Hoo!)

What’s worse, I even found myself trying to curtail their dreams.  I made (un)helpful statements such as, “Dragons aren’t real” or “Who is going to clean up after all those animals?”  They neatly discarded my remarks by reminding me it was a DREAM home; as such, inconsequential concerns such as “Is this even possible?” had no place in their thinking.

What a shock to realize that I had forgotten how to dream.  Poor, pitiful me, I am living a life with only attainable goals.  How sad to realize that dreams which are possible, aren’t really dreams at all.

It might be difficult at first, but I am determined to change my thinking.  I’m going to imagine a life of impossibilities.  I’m going to believe in dragons and fairy tales and secret passages that lead to hidden treasure.  I’m going to envision a future where my wildest dreams come true, and then I’m going to dream up something even grander.  If I get stuck, I’ll turn to the experts – my kids.  They’ll know what to do.

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”  – Walt Disney

Maybe dragons are real, after all…