In the fairy tale 'The Last Dream of the Old Oak Tree', the oak tree felt sorry for the day-fly that lived but a day, while the tree was already 365 years old. The tree's sympathy only puzzled the day-fly who was happy with the thousands of moments of happiness that it enjoyed by dancing in the sun, smelling the clover and the honeysuckle. The day-fly's day ended as happily as he spent it, as he settled down on a blade of grass.
The story is not meant to be an apology for sensual and momentary happiness. It merely conveys that dreams are the substance of life all around us. If we do not allow ourselves to be defeated, crushed and oppressed, we will be able to enjoy the green shoots of grass pressing through the stones on the sidewalk, soak in the wildflowers growing by railway tracks, snatch pleasure from patches of blue sky visible despite high-rise buildings, follow the rhythm of waves either crashing against or gently touching the seashore.
We will be able to dream even when hate is all around us. We will stop clinging to the gate that has just been closed on us and look towards the one that has just opened to us.
Cultivating a garden requires hours of vigorous digging, planting, watering and weeding. There are times of intense movement. There are also times of quiet when life grows underground, in silence and darkness. Cultivating one's soul is like cultivating a garden. There is a time of preparation, of readying the soil. The sowing of seeds is followed by a period of waiting and nurturing.
The flowering and the fruit only come as a result of back-breaking work, constant self-giving and taking in all that is life-sustaining from the world around us.
It is said that miracles are only a prayer away. Prayer is also a question of what we see. A morning cup of coffee is a moment of grace by itself. A child's face lit up by a smile is an invitation to laughter. A regular schedule of work and rest are a source of deep ease and comfort.
Why do flowers open to the morning light? Because morning is the moment of awakening, of wonder,a time for tenderness and beauty. It is a time to start the day with happy dreams when the day is yet unspoiled.
Many of us hem ourselves in a closed horizon. We hesitate to dream. There is something about the way we live life that kills the quiet joy of the day-fly in us. We need not all grow into oaks. Not all who are old in years are also wise. Years can bring experience, but without the ability and will to nurse our dreams we lose the opportunity to make a difference.
Life is full of questions. We are questions ourselves. If there were only answers, there would no longer be a sense of mystery. Deep down within, there is the precious child that is longing to dream. Forget yesterday. It has gone, like the water and sand that sift through our fingers. Live today because it is all you have. And your tomorrows will rise like eagles from the dreams that you have woven from the even and uneven threads of your life.