Dream a Little Dream With Me

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”   

Dr. Seuss 

July 20, 2020.

John: What seemed like an ordinary Monday was anything but, all because of the vows we made to each other exactly 29 years prior. As Julie’s brother called to wish us a happy anniversary, he congratulated us and commented that we were “living the dream.” You know what? He was right.

Our Big Dream when we were engaged was to happily grow old together while living life to the fullest. Our Big Dream has really been a series of Little Dreams achieved together, one at a time. And while we’re not exactly “old,” we’ve certainly grown older…and a little wiser. We’ve learned that while the dream itself is great, it’s the journey that brings us the real joy. Sharing our dreams, and then working together to achieve them, has been the thread that has bound us together and made us strong

Julie: Looking back at our 29 years together, I could see that nearly every decision we made on our marriage journey was a step towards making our Big Dream a reality – decisions to have children, to move to our current house, to change jobs, to always go to bed together, to have date nights, even to spend at least 20 minutes a day talking to just each other. These decisions were made by asking ourselves the question, ”Will this help us to get closer to our Big Dream?”

John: There were times when one of us has had a Little Dream that the other was unsure about, like when Julie wanted to start a community theater group. I wondered if this would take lots of time away from our family and me. Would I resent this involvement? Would we be out the startup money if she couldn’t make it go? Would I have to cook dinner  very night? When I listened to Julie and could see it from her perspective, I realized that this dream was really important to her. I wanted to support Julie and help her to stretch and grow. What a surprise it was for me to enjoy it just as much as she did!

Julie: When John supported my dream of starting a community theater group, it quickly became “our” dream. John worked tirelessly building sets before productions and then moving them on and off stage when the productions went live. With a little encouragement, he eventually got onstage himself. Some of our most magical memories are of playing the roles of a husband and wife on stage. Working together to make this little dream a reality helped to build trust and ignite a new sense of adventure and fun in our relationship while moving along the trail toward our Big Dream.

John: So, what’s your dream for your marriage? It is our hope that looking back years from now, you will also find great joy in your own journey!