dream big

I saw it immediately.

It opens early, before the seagulls have squawked away the morning’s sleep. It’s tucked away in a narrow alley, but you can’t miss it. The smell of freshly baked cookies leads the way. It’s your favorite place. You go there for a little treat and to stretch out your restful morning before your day starts.

It was a sweet little dream. But this little shop does exist. Or it seems to be closed now, but the sign is still up above the tiny entrance. It has a beautiful, vibrant door and a charming invitation to dream big.

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My mind always goes to a bakery. It became a running joke with my friends.

But I have another dream. And I’m supposed to dream big.

I enjoy traveling, and I’m aware of both my limitations and privileges. I’m always excited to talk about this place and that, and this thing and that. And when I do, I hear a lot of people voice their wishes to travel and leave it at wishing, because travel is unattainable for them.

Specifically, the elderly in my immediate environment. Or not just the elderly, but let’s say, my parents’ generation. My neurodivergent irregularity of empathy cannot process that, so I looked up agencies or non-profits that make travel possible for those who can’t afford it, but I’ve only found many (lovely!) opportunities for youth to travel, offering volunteering possibilities, giving scholarships, and so on.

Don’t know how I’d go about doing it, but I would really want to be a fairy godmother who can grant such chances to people who had to spend their lives settling for things and shrinking their dreams, quieting those ambitions in their hearts, thinking travel or dreaming big is for someone else.

People who spent their entire lives in one place but carried quiet awe in their hearts for places far away, out of reach.

I think it would open the world a bit to itself, and people’s hearts towards other hearts if such a dream ever comes true.

As I’m thinking about this idea, that’s more a spark in my heart than a formed plan, I notice something gently tickling my shoulder. Then I see a little yellow spider freezing when I notice it. I place it on my desk, and while it’s exploring, I, of course, look up the meaning (if you grew up in a house like mine, spiritual things like that would be a huge thing to you, too).

Turns out, yellow spiders are positive signs for manifesting your goals. They call for engagement and awareness and are called the “writing spiders” because of the intricate designs on their webs that are interpreted as messages. All this also makes them guardians. Such tiny little creatures! All this work, and this guy was just running frantically in circles around the mess on my desktop!

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