Stuff That Works

There was a time when my dad was into stuff, but like the banks of a river,  the ebb and flow of life have changed him. In his early 70s, he set out on an adventure to discover a new part of the world and in the process, something more about himself. A few years later I did the same, partly an attempt to live a long held dream of mine, and partly because I was ready to learn something new about myself too. I recently asked my dad what  ‘living the dream‘ meant to him, and this was his response.

“Living the dream” isn’t a phrase that resonates with where I am in life…it’s not really my tempo. For me, it’s not a matter of what do I want to do, but more, who do I want to be?

I do hold deep hopes for positive changes in our broken world and I am optimistic in that regard. I am saddened by the tragic events in the lives of those around me and in the world at large, but I refuse to give up hope that a better time is a comin’.

Back to “who do I want to be?” I have a strong desire (not a dream) to be a compassionate person in my daily walk through life, as I engage with family, friends and strangers. It is how I want my government in Canada to be, basing their decisions on what is caring and right, not “how much does it cost?” It is how I want other Governments to start treating their people; our national and global response to the refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe; and the list goes on. I can’t make these global changes but I can exercise compassion each day of my waking life.

Am I living this desire, this dream? Maybe only at some times in my day, some days in my week, but it’s a worthy task so I will continue the trek.