Catching Fireflies and Chasing Dreams

I was sitting outside the other night watching the fireflies, recalling how, when I was a child, I used to catch them and put them in a jar. I'd watch the fireflies put on a light show just for me, then let them go flying back out into the darkness.

It got me thinking about not just the simple pleasures of childhood, but also about dreams, and how they change as we get older.

When you are young, it's easy to dream. It is so much easier to see possibilities when you're not confronted with obstacles and harsh realities. When you're a kid, the world is a blank canvas and the future wide open. Sadly, we grow up, and life becomes about work and responsibilities. Reality settles in, and maybe we get disillusioned. Dreams may be given up or put on hold as we deal with all that we have to do and the unexpected things life throws at us.

My dreams now revolve around things like financial stability and comfort. I think about my 'dream' home - a newer house in the outlying suburbs with a huge yard and lots of trees. I still dream of being a writer, though right now I am focused on finding a practical job that I can do despite my MS and that offers good pay.

I still dream of having children, though not as often as I used to. And there are still places I'd like to travel to.

I dream of having all my current problems be gone. Of having my life get easier. Of sitting at a desk in a sun-splashed room with a beautiful view, writing, while occasionally looking up to gaze out the window before deciding to take a break and venture outside.

And maybe spending a summer evening chasing fireflies and catching a dream.