Do you ever have dreams?

I don’t mean the ones you have while you’re sleeping.
Nor do I mean those dreams of being rich; being retired; living on some exotic island, etc.
No, I mean dreams in your secret heart that  you only share with those closest to you.
I dream that way.
When Jim and I relocated for his new job, I dreamed of finding the “perfect house.” One night, he and I sat down and wrote a list of our top five “must haves” in that house, then a list of whatever our dreams were about that house. I still have that list somewhere.
We found out house. Well, let me correct that. We found our home. Both of us found the place that satisfied at least four out of the top five item on our lists. Over time, I have watched our dream list also come true.
You’re probably curious about the items on the dream list.
I can share a few things with you.
Friendly neighbors that are there for you, to help out and just to talk with.
A spa for the backyard: a dream we’ve had for years.
A big, quiet backyard where our dog and kids could run around and play.
A good church within walking distance of our house.
A place where I could look up and see that stars. That is the dream that inspired me to write this tonight. I never really knew until we moved here how important a view of the night sky was to me. On the day we celebrated my first birthday here, I wanted to end the day driving somewhere we I could look up and see a starry sky. And we did.
So of course it was on my dream list that I could go out in my/our back yard and look up and see an unobstructed view of the stars. I have one! Sure, there are nights when the sky is cloudy. Or I go out in the rain or snow and dance around enjoying the weather changes. Moments when I glance up and see the stars but it’s too cold to stay outside long. The best part is relaxing in the spa, under a beautiful night sky of stars. (Occasionally the moon, too) How many nights I was up at 2:30 in the morning to watch the International Space Station zoom through the night. I have learned to discern planets from the stars. Jim downloaded a star identification program onto my phone. I’ve tried using it a couple of times but decided I’d rather just look up at the stars: finding the constellations I grew up with.
Our backyard faces southwest. All year long. This means there is a lot of sun and in this hot climate that means unless you have some kind of shade control, you can’t spend much time outside. Jim came up with multiple plans for a shade control he would construct out of different materials. I seemed to destroy each plan because I requested, ok, demanded, that I be able to see my stars at night. Not a single contractor understood how important that was to me. It wasn’t a choice between shade and stars. I wanted both!!
The latest idea was a large umbrella which would cover a nice-sized area of the back patio. We looked and looked and priced this one and that one. Nothing seemed quite right.
Then one day, we found the perfect shade: a pergola. Not just any old wooden pergola. Nope. This one was made of aluminum and it was magic because the louvers opened and closed to provide shade and rain protection. I love to sit outside in the rain and hear the drops hit a metal roof. Because the louvers opened, I would be able to move them at night to see…you guessed it, the starry sky.
This, friends, is one of my dreams come true.
So I say to you, don’t stop dreaming. Pay attention to options. Don’t substitute something that you don’t really want. Keep holding out for that “perfect” item which will meet your dream expectations. It’s worth all the time searching when you can walk out at night, look up anywhere, and see the stars.