Midwifing the Dreams of Others

Yesterday I got a call from my best friend, Anne. She and I met in sixth grade and have been thick as thieves ever since. There is something so special about a friend who has seen you through all the major stages of life. She and her family live near a military base about 45 minutes away. She and her husband are retired military and now work on the base as civilians. Its so nice to have her nearby again. Her military career took her all over the world, and I'm glad she's decided to settle near home again. Anne called to update me on her dream. She has a marvelous dream of a) learning to ride a motorcycle, b) acquiring a motorcycle, and c) taking a motorcycle trip cross country to the eastern seaboard to visit lighthouses up and down the coast. She called to let me know that part a had been completed. She's been taking lessons and now has her motorcycle liscence. She's also started on part b by selecting the motorcycle she would like to purchase. I told her how proud I was of her and I really am. I want to be her biggest cheerleader. For a woman who has devoted her whole life to her family, this would be a wonderful trip as well as a huge accomplishment. Maybe, I said, I'd like to go with you. (I'm pretty scaredy when it comes to motorcycles though.) She assured me it's a really big bike, I'd feel secure on it, and once she got it, she'd drive up and taking me riding on it to get me used to it. Perhaps, we'll see...

Later in the day, when my friend Julie came to help us sew the robes, she told me about her dream as well. During a lull in the conversation and while the sewing machine wasn't going, she looked up from her handfull of yardage and said quietly, "Well, I've decided to audition for a play." I told her I thought that was marvelous. She told me she was auditioning for the role of Betsy in The Hiding Place, the story of Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who hid Jews in her home during the German occupation of The Netherlands- Betsy was Corrie's sister, who died in the concentration camps after they were caught. (I still regret that when I was in The Netherlands a few years ago, I didn't take the train to Haarlem to visit the home of Corrie Ten Boom, I did visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam though.) I asked Julie when her audition was and made a note on my calendar to call and see how things went. She explained that she did theatre in college and always wanted to go back to it once her kids were grown (she only has two teens left at home out of 8 kids). I applauded her efforts and wished her well on getting the part. I'm already planning to go see her in her role.

I'm very grateful to be a part of encouraging others in the pursuit of their dreams. It is a very privileged role- to midwife the dreams of others.