Dream Fulfillers
Years ago, my husband wanted a motorcycle; he’d talked about it often, but he honored my wishes to not own one. You see, I worried too much for his safety, and we had small children to raise together. I’d see his eyes light up when one would go by; I knew he was picturing the wind in his hair (there’s no helmet law in N.H.), imagining the feel of the road, etc. I wanted to want him to have one; I really did, but I was still adamantly against it.
Then I woke up
I realized that I can’t go through life living in fear of losing him, and I certainly didn’t want him to resent me down the road over never having one–not that he would–but why would I want to take the chance? After all, he would give me the world if he could, and yet, I wasn’t ‘allowing’ him to fulfill a dream. So, one Christmas, I searched around, talked to a friend with bikes, found what he’d considered a great starter bike, and purchased it!
Surprise
I reached out to my neighbor, who lived behind us, and asked if I could put the bike in their garage, I tied a red ribbon to the handlebars, and I unwound the ribbon until it reached our back door; at the end of the ribbon was a key. On Christmas morning, he followed the ribbon through the yard, around a tree and a shrub, and through the neighbor’s yard to discover his dream come true. The joy on his face will live with me for the rest of my life.
Grateful
Now, many years down the road, after upgrading, he’s decided to give up riding. He doesn’t feel as safe as he once did and still wanted to honor my wishes, so we chose to replace it with a Jeep. Now the wind is still in his hair, and I, for one, am grateful.
I share this not to say I’m all that with a bag of chips on the side, but to say that, loving someone more than yourself will come back to you tenfold. His love for me grew even deeper that day, and it brought with it a cherished memory, and a lifetime of fun. Yes, I too wrapped my arms around him and rode. Not with the wind in my hair, though; I always wore my helmet.
Be that Dream Fulfiller
Support, encourage, and love on your family and friends. Make their day, lift them up, allow them to fail in order to grow, and I promise you, it will come back to you tenfold, too.
Hugs,
Karen