We are bringing “Darling Letters” from your inbox to the blog! We love the art of letter writing and believe it helps build authentic community. Our editors and contributors have thoughtfully written encouraging letters to cut through the busyness and speak straight to your heart.
After a long day of frantically refreshing my inbox, I finally got a response, but it was not the one I was hoping for.
Waitlisted.
The small, Arial text seemed as though it spoke in all caps. It felt as if the short message punctuated a dream of acceptance into the program and the subsequent joy that I anticipated.
It felt as if the short message punctuated a dream of acceptance into the program and the subsequent joy that I anticipated.
The immediate disappointment that followed this email seemed like confirmation that dreaming and hoping for something that was not immediately within reach was not viable nor worth it. In an ongoing season replete with dissolved dreams, this seemed like another reason to see the present moment as one of isolation disconnected from the future.
However, to dream is to realize that what you see is not all there is and is not all there will be. In doing this, we take stock of the state of things around us while also allowing ourselves to long for something better. When disappointment comes, we can try to suppress our dreams as “outlandish” or “unattainable,” or instead, we can discern a healthy discontent for the present moment while still creating new aspirations for the future.
May we see interruptions to our dreams as commas, not periods. Dream on (even when it’s hard).
To dream is to realize that what you see is not all there is and is not all there will be.
Sincerely,
Sam Miller, the Darling family
Is there any disappointment in your life that is causing you to feel disillusioned? How can we continue to dream in the midst of disappointment?
Image via Tony Li
