In the absence of a dream?

I recently discovered, within our youth, the absence of dreams. I’m afraid that what this breeds for us is a society of people who only live in the moment and do not value their lives nor understand that more exists in the world beyond the experiences of the moment and that day. This means they do not think of their actions and the consequences of those actions. They move through life without fear. They have no goals and do not believe they have anything to look forward to.

It’s disheartening. Dreams are what we chase. Dreams give us goals. Dreams point us in a direction. Sometimes I do not know if we even allow ourselves to dream to the heights that our future has in store for us. Let alone, having no dreams at all. The absence of a dream is worse than a dream deferred – because they do not even grasp that there is more. I cannot fathom.

Isn’t it our jobs to ignite the light, which burns in each of them? It is not enough that we birth them; we have to water and groom and plant the will and the desire to dream, which will allow them to set goals toward capturing those dreams. I worry night after night, trying to figure out how we – as adults – can inspire and propel them into caring about the future. In the absence of dreams, our children lose their humanity.

Dreams cost nothing. With things becoming increasingly more difficult in the world, the only thing that can bring you back to a comfortable place in your heart and soul is the connection to something meaningful, the hope of something better, and the dream of something bigger than oneself in its current state of perfect imperfections. Whose job is it to inspire our children to wake them up and to give them hope? Isn’t it mine?

Isn’t it yours?