What does it mean to have a dream?

Perhaps “to dream” also means “to hope.”

While there are certainly times when reaching a dream seems unimaginable, more often, if we choose to put pen to paper (or, more likely, fingers to keyboard) we can create momentum toward that dream.

Whether you consider yourself a dreamer, wonderer, creator, or envisionist, the underlying theme is that you have a hope for something greater. You hope for something better aligned with your values, or even something that illuminates your values.

These were my musings when I recently picked up the book, “Dream Street,” by Tricia Elam Walker. I was in my beloved local bookstore, Let’s Play Books in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, where they had featured this book on the back-to-school table. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, it is a beautiful children’s book with the power to speak to all ages. It certainly spoke to me!

It begins with the line, “Welcome to Dream Street,” then artfully walks through the stories and the dreams of Yusef, Belle, Azaria, and more.

On Dream Street, anything is possible. Belle catches butterflies and dreams of growing up to be a lepidopterist. Little Benjamin lies in bed, counting the stars that sparkle through his bedroom window. Mr. Phillips has five sons and dreams of starting his very own jazz band.

"We really wanted to write a book where children could see themselves in it, as well as know that their dreams are important," says author Tricia Elam Walker. "So this is a place where creativity abounds, and imagination and dreams are celebrated."

To hear Tricia Elam Walker talk more about her book during this 2021 interview on NPR, listen here.

The themes in this book are bigger than just having a dream and seeing it happen.

We could spend countless hours talking about how our children are craving hope and connection. Now, more than ever, after seasons of insecurity and uncertainty during a global pandemic, and as they now return to school again, they are looking for opportunities to dream. They are looking for opportunities to hope.

Our children (and the teachers and administrators who show up for them every day) will continue to hope even after years of learning that everything can change on a dime.

As I found myself in that little bookstore with tears of gratitude welling up in my eyes, I realized I was thinking about the irony of how fast life has moved in the last 2 years. From global pandemic, to my family’s move to a new town and putting down roots in a community I really care about, I feel like one of the children in the book who were given the space to dream.

The story of community and our connectedness to one another is undeniably more real than ever. We need each other and we need each other’s dreams to bring Dream Street to life. Then when that dream comes to life, we need to dream another dream, and continue to put hope into the world.

This summer, I was able to see one of my dreams come true in a surprising way.

If you had told 6 year old me, an immigrant to this country, who could barely speak English, that someday I would own a business in the heart of a community I love, in a place where my children are actively growing and learning, I would have told you that you were dreaming.

And maybe that’s the whole idea.

The children who live and play on Dream Street can become whatever and whoever they want, because their dreams are nourished and cared for, just like Dessa Rae’s flowers. There is no need to worry or rush. They take their time, growing and playing, and learning and living, and soaring skyward toward all the adventures that await them. - Tricia Elam Walker

I hope you’ve made time to nourish and care for your dreams. I don’t think there is a linear path to dream, but here are some ideas to get you started:

How to Nourish and Care for your Hopes and Dreams:

Incorporate a minimum of 1 hour a week into your work schedule to dream, create, and put new ideas in a journal or notebook. Choose a “dreamy” place to do this. Somewhere that you like to be or is aesthetically pleasing. If you work in a cubicle office and you find that mundane or bland, try to go outside for this hour.
Create a support system or accountability system. Be brave enough to tell one other person in your life (or more) what you’re dreaming up. Feel free to tell that person, “These are just thoughts and ideas that I am curious about.” The more we can share and get feedback, the more our ideas will grow, flourish, and transform. Processing out loud can be very helpful!
Be easy on yourself. Trying things out and moving through ideas should not feel like a failure or make you feel like a flakey person. The very act of dreaming and working through ideas is a beneficial activity for your mental health and for brain exercise. So if all that comes of an idea is some mental exercise, that’s already a win! Hold ideas lightly and let them transform into something different than how they started. Allow yourself grace to try something and leave things without judgement. Each idea is something that we can build on or use as a launch for the next.

Nourish a Dream