We all have goals in life. For some, it’s to achieve a certain profession or maybe a certain material thing like a house. But kids don’t live by goals like adults often do, no, they live by dreams. I’d like to think that I still live a lot of my life through ardent dreams. Children inspire me in their ability, no matter the logistics or obstacles that are often unaware of them, that these dreams will come true purely because they dreamed them.
Ryder has had this dream to ride a Ferris wheel since he saw one a year ago and blurted from the back seat “I want to ride that Ferris wheel! I will ride that Ferris wheel one day!” to which I thought, “How the heck did he know that was called a Ferris wheel? And well I suppose so, as soon as you grow a foot.”
So for more than half of his life, my sweet determined redheaded thinker, decided it was time to fulfill a dream. Life finally allowed for the right opportunity (sans baby sister, a Ferris wheel within a 25-mile radius of our home, and a kind carnival gentleman allowing my 36-inch pal to ride when he was lacking the 6 additional inches needed to make it through the gate).
We talked about if he really wanted to do it. If he really felt it was time. And you know what? that little boy rustled up the courage to sit into that rocking bucket and fly, fly, fly into the wind of greatness. With a trusty lollipop in hand and reassurances from his momma beside him (who secretly was feeling her tummy flip as well wondering why we ever agreed to do this!), we rounded and rounded and rounded again over a sea of cars and creatures below.
We counted cars to distract us when the bucket seats wobbled in the wind and we laughed as it sank in that we were actually achieving his dream.
Ryder kicked his feet and smiled as the last turn rounded back to the bottom center of the circle and whispered, “I’m done, I’d like to get down now.” I suppose I was looking for a bit more hooting and hollering but quickly realized that my baby boy was achieving a dream in his own way. He was satisfied that he found the courage to do what he set out to do, even when it scared him along the way. My little redhead walked off that ride six inches taller and the knowing that anything can be accomplished with a little bit of fortitude, a hefty prayer along the way that the bucket won’t drop us out 300 ft. in the air, and the support of a friend (who was just as nervous as he was) to get him to the finish line.
What dreams do you have that have yet to be accomplished? We encourage you to be on the look-out for the perfect opportunity to make it come true.
