Almost There

In watching Disney's new Princess and the Frog, the song "Almost There" is quite catchy. In it, the young lady talks about how she has worked hard her whole life saving for her dream - a restaurant in New Orleans. It makes me realize that I have no real goal to speak of.

Oh, I dream, don't get me wrong. I dream of a corner bakery with a big steel urn of fresh coffee and the scent of warm cookies coming out of the kitchen. I dream of being in front of a classroom full of interested faces, chalk dust under my fingernails. I dream of waking up each morning next to a wife who loves me for the crazy person I am. I dream of kitchen that is always full of friends and family, a place where we all can talk and dice tomatoes and flip pancakes and share in one another's company. I dream of walking down the streets of Paris, stopping to sit at a sidewalk cafe, just listening to the sounds of the people and the traffic.

The thing of it is, I have never had anything that at which I had to work. I'll be totally honest. Classes were never a problem, I have always been good at making friends, I have had some of the best jobs literally fall into place. In the bigger picture, I have never had to plan for anything, to work towards anything, to worry about something not happening. I was never concerned about getting into college or graduate school, about finishing a class or making new friends when I moved. I suppose part of that is because I am just not a worrier, but another part of it is that I have never had reason to worry.

I am so blessed by that. I don't mean to sound like I am complaining or depressed. I realize that I am blessed to live the life that I do, blessed to have people who care about me and friends and family who love me. I am blessed that I don't have to worry about food on the table or shoes on my feet.

But I have no "loose change dream". In Princess and the Frog, the young girl has a drawer full of coins, money that she's saved for her dream. I realize that not every dream requires you to save money, but it's the same principle whether it's money (for a bakery) or knowledge (for the classroom) or friends (for everything!).

I am intrigued tonight that - even when I have been so richly blessed, so overwhelmingly taken care of by parents and Father alike - even now I yearn to have to work for something to call my own.