9. Where Did Our Dreams Go?
Remember those days, brimming with youthful energy, when our hearts overflowed with ambition, fueled by the purest intentions? We dreamt of changing the world, of uplifting our communities, of leaving a mark that resonated with the divine. These aspirations, like cascading waterfalls, tumbled from a place of innocence.
But somewhere along the path, for many of us, the waters of hope seem to have receded. Did the responsibilities of marriage, work, and family dam the flow of those dreams? Did the whispers of worldly desires drown out the call to something greater?
Perhaps it’s not a matter of blame, but a gentle nudge we need. A reminder that we must strive to stay connected to those aspirations, especially those connected to the heavens…they are the flow we need when life begins to run dry.
In many ways, Sanad has been an attempt to preserve that riverbed in me – a place where the current of my hopes and dreams can remain in motion pulled by the gravity of faith, my children, my mortality, and the responsibilities I have towards each.
Imam Haddad advises us to “…reflect on the wonders of Allah’s dazzling creation, the inward and outward signs of His Ability, and the signs He has scattered abroad in the Realm of the earth and the heavens.”
Just like a river, our journey may encounter rocks and rapids, obstacles that threaten to capsize our resolve. But the river, if kept alive, finds a way around and ultimately continues its course. We too can be like these rivers.
I have been blessed to witness hidden lakes, nestled atop mountains, their waters cascading down in a symphony that has played for millennia. Their enduring flow is a beacon of hope for me, a testament to Allah’s unwavering protection of our aspirations and that He can safeguard our dreams until the day all earthly rivers run dry.
Each of us possesses a riverbed of ideas and hopes. We can’t allow them to stagnate. I pray we can all be forever inspired by the current of our dreams. May our spouses, families, and work be the tributaries that carry us towards ever-more beautiful destinations downstream.
I pray these words are received as a conversation, not a conclusion. Where have your dreams taken you? How can we rekindle the flow of our aspirations and use them to nourish the world around us? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and together, let us keep our rivers flowing.
Until the next step,
I’m an organizational psychologist, father & founder. After completing graduate school at Teacher’s College, Columbia University in New York I spent formative time with students & scholars at Dar al Mustafa in Tarim. I’ve worked with the UNHCR in Geneva & taught social sciences as an adjunct professor in Miami. I write, speak, & consult on parenting, education, & institution-building. I’m honored to serve as the executive director of Sanad Trust Foundation, a nonprofit that provides education, wellness, & community programs for children, families, & elders.
