Somewhere Else
Ah, Fall is in the air. It is cooling down and the trees are beginning to turn. I love the fall. Every sense in me awakens during this season. The air smells better, the light is more abstract and the food tastes better.
We spent Saturday in Apple Hill, a collection of small apples orchards and farmers markets not far from our home. We found some delicious fruit and preserves and indulged in fudge/caramel apples--complete with sprinkles. One of the larger farms also has pony rides. Once Violet saw the ponies...we were going. Period. End of discussion.
Wyatt and Violet saddled up and were rather uncooperative (as far as my photographic agenda was concerned) which I mentioned to my wife. "They're somewhere else, Matt. Wyatt is a cowboy on some far away range and Violet is gliding through the forest on a unicorn's back."
I've thought about that a lot since Saturday morning. Of course, Carolyn was right. The kids were somewhere else while they rode. That is the beauty of being young and untainted by responsibility. Kids can imagine things so closley to reality that the two somehow intermingle and coexist. When we grow into cynicism and self-doubt and rampant responsibility, a fissure begins to divide our worlds. Often we jump toward our dreams and fall short, clinging reluctantly onto someday. As the chasm gets wider and deeper, we try to find a way to cross, but it is a nearly impossible task.
Our dreams are important. I believe they are God's way of directing us toward earthly fulfillment, but when dreams begin to happen somewhere else, life loses its luster. That's where I have found myself a lot in the past few years.
Children are closer to God, they have less between them and eternity. They have less of a false self to protect from an all-seeing creator so they are able to operate in both worlds simultaneously, so maybe...just maybe; the better we get to know God, the more we too can bring our dreams and our reality closer together. Maybe we can truly live now and live in a dream world at the same time. I like to think so.
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3 comments:
Perfectly said!
I can't help but wonder if there is some way for adults to reach their dreams but still be responsible. Any ideas?
Beautifully put, Matt... I must say, this is an amazing picture! I can almost see the forest scene that Violet imagines herself a part of... It is such an honor to be close to children and to once again brush up against "the veil" between this world and another... One of the greatest joys of parenthood, in my book!
Caren, you're absolutely right. Children are like a window to heaven.
Melissa, it seems like we may be asking the same question. In truth, I'm not sure how to do both. But, I have an idea, so I'll share it (this is still an idea in progress).
Maybe we can go after our dreams and be responsible if we take responsibility for the dreams we have. Sphinxish I know. (If you aren't fammiliar with the movie "Mystery Men" you should rent it.)
In other words, may be we choose to be responsible for things that we shouldn't. I believe that we human beings are the dreams of God. I believe that he somehow created each of us with purpose. That purpose is encapsulated within our dreams. If that is true, then the dreams we have are our primary responsibility.
I still get hung up on this sometimes, because...for instance, I do not work in my dream job, but I have a responsibility to provide for my family. But, in reality, one of my deepest dreams is to be a great Father, so...even though my dream job isn't a reality right now, my purpose is still on track. Does that make sense?
I think the disconnect between dreams and responsibility happens when we take on responsibility for things we cannot and should not control. If we could all let that go, I think the human race would make great strides quickly.
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