Finding Neverland and Sand in My Shoe

Last night my friend called and invited me to "Finding Neverland". Being that I am so out of the loop when it comes to anything related to popular culture in the last 12 months, I looked it up online and decided that it might be worth the 8 bucks and two hours of work that I would not be doing while I watched it. In the end my friend treated me to it and I decided that I wouldn't have gotten any work done anyway, so it was really worth it. It was a very well done movie and I would recommend it to all. The tale though sad was inviting and the message was inspiring. I decided that I needed a Neverland. Then moments later I realized that I had a Neverland, filled with dreams, promises and good feelings, those are the best kind. I think most people have such a place be it in the real world or in their heads and as we grow we still turn to it (though we don't let others know about it). After the movie my friends and I were discussing the idea of escapism and how some use imagination to escape but that it is so much more important than just that.

R' Orlofsky spoke in Baltimore last week, I had work to do and I was broke but I decided I could afford the time and money (sound familiar) to hear his words of wisdom and Torah. He did not disappoint. He spoke about Chanukah and Dreams (amazing how things in life fit together so beautifully). He said that Chanukah is for the dreamers, because without those crazy dreamers who felt that they would go fight against the great Greek army when they had no chance of winning the story of Chanukah would not have taken place. I will not even attempt to tell the story as he did but his message was clear, Those who Dream and Hold on to the Dream Accomplish Amazing Things. He told the story of a seamstress who wanted to to teach Jewish Women, everyone told her to go back to her sewing machine but while they were trying to figure out the issue literally with plans and committees she went along with her dream. While they were drafting plans for chairpeople she was opening Bais Yaakov.

So dreams are vital, I think this is the message Hashem is trying to not so subtly send me. Dreams of who you want to be (even if you feel you are lagging so far back that you will never be able to reach such heights), Dreams of what you want to accomplish (even if others are telling you it is impossible), Dreams of the lives you will touch and the works you will influence. They are dreams but only remain so if you let them.

This being said, as I dressed for my trip to the movies last night, I slipped on the flats that I wore on the beach last Shabbos and felt the rough kernels of sand against my feet. It made me smile.