Happy December!
When you were a child did you have dreams or expectations about what your life would be like when you got older? Did you imagine a successful career in something you were passionate about? Did you see a big house with a white picket fence or a sky line condo in the city? Did you want a partner to share your life with, maybe with a few children or did you have a longing to remain single or even lead a religious life? Maybe you were excited to travel the world and marvel at its wonders.
Nobody expects illness or disease. Nobody expects that their dream job won’t be available to them so they have to settle for something else. Nobody expects that houses will be too expensive to buy so they have to be happy with renting. Nobody expects infertility or abusive partners. Nobody expects acts of terrorism that makes them fearful of travelling.
Life is not what I expected but that’s okay. I’m not living in the place I thought I would be living but it’s a nice place and I still have the opportunity to visit “home” often enough. I wasn’t able to have as many children as I wanted but I was blessed with one beautiful, smart, strong, compassionate daughter of whom I’m very proud. I’m not married to the guy I thought I would marry when I was twenty but I found someone much better! He loves me and accepts me as I am, the good, the bad and the ugly. My house is not a palace but its warm and cozy and full of love. I have MS but I’m managing okay.
No, my life is not quite what I expected but that’s okay. In many ways it’s better than what I imagined! I am grateful for the blessings bestowed upon me and know that life is not about the dreams or imaginings of the little girl I was. It is about the here and now that I wake up to every morning and say prayers of thanks for every night as I lay my head on the pillow.
We may live in times of unknown; war, diseases for which there are no cures, unstable home lives. Whatever your challenges are, my dreams for you are that your life is a little bit like you imagined, hopefully even better and if it’s not good there are ways to make it better. That’s what dreams, imagining and hope are for.
So live each day Pretty, Plus and Proud and even though it’s not the life you expected, it can still be a good life!
Pretty, Plus and Proud 
Another great, thought-provoking post!
When I was a kid I wanted to be a figure skater although I didn’t have much talent for it. Later, I dreamed of being a social worker but truly, I couldn’t impose boundaries that would enable me to do the work. My career now is something I could never have dreamed of (because the field didn’t even exist until 10 years ago) but I’m very happy with where I’ve landed. I really believe that saying “It’s not having what you want, but wanting what you have”. I’m blessed in many ways and although I face adversity (like everyone else), I’m lucky to have a good support system to see me through. That said, we shouldn’t give up on our dreams about the future… working towards goals (and achieving them) is all part of a wonderful life.
LikeLike
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it and took the time to comment! I agree dreams are good as they keep us moving forward.
LikeLike