My Exploration

There is no real reason why we shouldn’t support others in their endeavours with great gusto. I can’t really think of any reason, but for a long long time I have been fairly indifferent to other peoples plans for their future. I haven’t felt that I could be involved. I have felt that to ask too deeply about one’s hopes and dreams for the future was to pry, was more of a social gaff than a friendly enquiry. In some cases that is true, and sometimes it is not. I am coming to realise how important it is to really share with others your own dreams, and to questions others about theirs – openly and without censure.  Yeats, summed it up sweetly in his poem ‘He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven’:

I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

Not only do we need to tread carefully when someone is sharing their deep desires – the true desires of the heart, but I believe we also must take part in nurturing those desires as well. Affirming that those desires are worthwhile. The progression of fulfilment of desires is a journey that I believe we should be travelling with our close friends. Over time, ensuring that your friend is still aware that you remember this desire, and that this desire is important to them, through gentle enquires and, to put heavy emotional words to it, grieving at the failures, and joyously celebrating at the successes with them! It is through such support that we can all journey towards the goals we have in mind…