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Recently I stood at the closet of my soon-to-arrive first great granddaughter, ever since then I have been thinking about hope. The dictionary describes it as “a feeling of expectation or desire.” I wonder if it is somehow the glue that holds civilizations together. We know that the foundation of society is the family. Certainly traditions, customs, language, religion and laws support that basic unit, but perhaps civilization’s life blood is HOPE; that which keeps us going, our dreams for the future. |
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As I stood in that beautiful soon-to-be inhabited nursery, I admired the array of exquisite baby dresses, onesies, and sleeper sets, soft as down.
Quietly caressing the delicate fabrics, my mind slipped back to when I stood on the brink of my own motherhood at a similar closet. I flashed back through time to when I had been lost in my own reverie, dreaming of my baby and what kind of life he or she might live.(Technology did not allow for gender reveal back then). |
What are your hopes and dreams? Are they broad or vague? Perhaps, that your health will hold, that it will all turn out okay. I think as a young woman I just hoped that I would have a meaningful future.
I believe that our generalized hopes or dreams are the foundation we then layer upon and make specific with what we desire. I desired a husband, a family, a home, and a career. These desires become our blueprint; the pathway toward our actions. Isn’t a goal simply a dream with a deadline? |
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My granddaughter proudly showed me the little playsuit which her husband’s mother saved across the decades, as she surely dreamed that someday a grandchild might wear it. My granddaughter described a tiny sweater with her name stitched across it which her own mother had saved. Hope! |
I thought of all the baby clothes I had lovingly preserved and passed on when my children’s children began arriving. The treasures we choose to preserve and pass on are a way of binding the generations.
I have my grandfather’s stained and chipped coffee cup sitting on a shelf. I’ve treasured it since 1963 when he passed away. My memory lets me see him sipping from it. He kept it on the space on top of his Servel refrigerator, the old fashioned model with the motor on the top. I loved him and appreciate the hopes he held for me. Maybe it was more than that. He steered me toward a life of thought and contemplation. During my growing up years he invested a lot of energy into teaching me. It was a good investment. I listened and heard the messages about having my own dreams and working hard to realize them. |
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In so many ways we pass our values and expectations on to those within our sphere of influence, and often that is done through our hopes and dreams for them.
On Monday the headline on my cell phone announced that it will be too hot by 2050 to hold the summer Olympics. That worries me, and I am worried about how fragile our democracy may prove to be. But, I hope goodness and trust will prevail. We can work in our own ways to impact different outcomes, but often it comes down to hope, and commitment, having faith in the future. |
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Do you ever think about what your foremothers dreamed about? My grandmother x11 generations, Mary Lewis, arrived in Massachusetts in 1634 with her husband, and two boys. One of the boys was just nine months old. He was our ancestor Thomas. Their departure from England was delayed until they signed affidavits of loyalty to King Charles I.
There were 102 passengers on their ship, The Elizabeth, which sailed for two and a half months, before arriving in the New World. |
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Surely, Mary hoped and dreamed of a better life, free from religious persecution in a place which offered opportunity. We can only Imagine the incredible effort she and her family put forth to carve out a new life. How amazed she would be to learn that there are 13 generations of us thriving, as we eagerly await the start of yet another generation. Imagine what she would think when she learned that the colonies united and reached across the entirety of the continent creating a country that leads the free world. Truly it would be a lot to take in. |
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Mary clearly had big dreams and did what it took to provide a new kind of life, one with more freedom, for her family.
I see my granddaughter with big dreams for her family as she too does what it takes to make them come true.
For my part I am going to continue to daydream about this new little baby girl. What kind of a life will she choose? What will her world look like when she is the grandmother? Oh I hope so much for her; for her health, to be loved, to live in joy and safety. |
For now I might just sneak a peek at my grandpa’s old cup and silently thank him for his commitment to my well being. He put action into his hopes for me and it made all the difference. I have tried my best to do the same for those in my sphere.
Perhaps you want to share with me what you are you thinking about? I would love to hear about your hopes and dreams, and the treasures you plan to pass forward into the future.
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