The other day as I was driving past a church I slowed just enough to read the sign out front. On it was a message to passing motorists – dreams are the things life is made of. As I passed by the sign and continued on to my destination, the thought hit me that without dreams, what do we really have?

A dream can be quite simple. A dream could be to simply buy a newer car or to buy that first home.

Our dreams can motivate us to achieve great things or they can frighten us into not doing something. When we are children, we often dream of all the different people we can become when we are adults. Children often dream of becoming teens because they can drive the family car or have a car of their own. As adults, those dreams change and we may think of marriage, buying a nice house, or having the perfect family.

Some children will dream of the different types of professions that may be available when they grow up. A young boy might dream of becoming a star athlete or a scientist while a young lady might dream of becoming a doctor or a lawyer.

I remember reading a news story about a teacher who asked her students what they wanted to become when they graduated high school. One student replied she wanted to become president of the United States. It was reported that the teacher and many of the child’s fellow students laughed at her. The child didn’t give up on her dream. Instead, she contacted her congressman to learn what the criteria is to become president. She informed her teacher later that a woman can be president if she campaigns hard enough and is elected.

I have always been of the mindset that one does not ridicule someone’s dream. No matter how impossible their dream might seem to achieve, never make fun of it. For some people, dreams are all they have.

Dreams can help us set goals we want to achieve. For example, an athlete might dream of someday going to the Olympics and winning a gold medal. In order to do that, the athlete has to set and achieve certain goals for himself. In order to win that medal, he must train hard and win or place very well in various types of competitions in his chosen sport in order to be chosen for the Olympic team.

A person living in poverty might dream of someday breaking the cycle of poverty and moving to a better neighborhood and having a better paying job. A worker who has been laid off his job might have a dream to find a new job quickly.

Our dreams can also overwhelm us into inaction. Sometimes, in order to achieve a dream, you may have to make changes in your life. The thought of changing jobs or moving to a new city can seem so daunting that we don’t try to make our dream come true. The dream is nice, but we simply can’t or won’t do what is needed to make it happen because the unknown results of those changes we would have to make are just too scary.

We all have dreams. Dreams really are what make up life. Those dreams change over the years as we get older. Dreams are what give us hope. Hope is what drives each one of us. With each new day, there is the premise that we can move closer to achieving those dreams we all have. So, don’t ridicule someone the next time they try to share their dream for the future with you. After all, those dreams are the things life is made of.

— Erin Smith is a staff writer for the Bladen Journal. She may be reached by telephone at 862-4163 or by e-mail at esmith@bladenjournal.