Wednesday Wonder
They both came down the AP at the same time, two articles from two opposite ends of the age spectrum.
The first story was about a 16 year old Australian girl who circumnavigated the globe by sea, alone, non-stop. By this feat she became the youngest person to do so and, according to some, it was an effort that required far too much risk. She was at sea for 210 days, enduring storms and vast solitude. But when she sailed back into Sydney harbor she returned to a hero’s welcome.
The second story took place on land, but required just as much effort and grit in its own way.
When 94 year old Californian Hazel Soares wanted to go to college the first time the great depression eclipsed every hope that it could ever happen. She had to go to work to support herself and her family. Life went on, but this mother of six and grandmother of 40 never gave up on the idea that she could go to college and graduate. And this year she did exactly that, walking the stage at the graduation exercises of Mills College.
If there is a common thread that runs through these two stories it is that of dreams, of how they guide us and come into fruition, even when delayed. What is impossible to one person is simply a challenge to another. And these two women demonstrated the kind of courage and patience that is necessary to fulfill the grandest of dreams.
Of course, their stories inspire us to quest after our own dreams, whatever they might be. But beyond that I began to think about how very different this is for each person, depending on where they are located, into what life they are born, and what kind of support they might receive from those around them.
Some people have neither the wherewithal or vision to have or pursue the dream in the first place. There is not a level playing field and we know it. There might not be enough raw life material available, either internally or externally, to make it possible. But then again, time after time, we witness how rare opportunities emerge from the happy emergence of key people who serve as instigators, encouragers and facilitators. Who is going to stand in the breach to help it be possible? It’s you and me, of course, just as others did for us. We are the ones to provide the break, help broker the opportunity, and lead that individual to the place where opportunity looms.
These are dreams on the individual level. But we also hold dreams of a different scale, for a larger dimension of life. We also have dreams for our community, our church, our nation, and our world. We have dreams that require partnership with the dreams of others in order to achieve full justice, harmony, well-being, beauty and peace between nations. As Christians and people of the spirit we have dreams that the reign of God will come and we will be a part of it.
These dreams, the collective ones, are even harder to pursue and achieve than the individual ones because they are so often dependent on finding consensus and collaboration with others. Many different and often times competing visions of life make this difficult. And yet these collective dreams frequently provide even more powerful impact than our individual ones. I can tend the fires of my own calling, but what about ours?
Although not all of us will traverse the oceans of the earth in our youth or secure that cherished diploma well after ninety, we will, each in our own way, according to the gifts and graces we have received and the opportunities made available, achieve relative victories of the spirit. Each starting point of life, along with its built-in limitations, will define just how remarkable are the achievements that come out of it. So whether we are on the field or in the bleachers, celebrate the little victories that come our way and the way of others. Say a prayer of thanksgiving every time the impossible is overcome. Each person is fighting a hard battle and each achievement is always, in its own way, worthy of a gold medal.
