Sueño de Nina - Childhood dreams
“We were like those who dreamed”
While our caregivers were hovering over a computer creating an Amazon wish list trying to pick out the perfect gift for each girl in our home, stories of childhood Christmases began to flow.
“Oh, let’s get her a kitchen set. I always wanted a kitchen set when I was her age.”
“A kitchen set??? I just wanted jacks- my parents couldn’t even afford jacks.”
They were laughing and sharing while dreaming and remembering and they didn’t even realize that Ada was hanging on their every word. She used this “wish list” to fuel her investigative process of uncovering what each caregiver longed for as a child and was never able to unwrap under the tree. In fact, most didn’t have memories of a Christmas trees in their homes either.
We’ve been talking a lot about dreaming and the freedom required to dream. Because when you live in survival mode you can’t dream. And when you finally step into safety, you have to be so brave to dream or hope. So we dream for our girls and with our girls until they are able to dream for themselves and for another.
Ada worked with our girls to become dream makers! These girls, who are the recipients of each caregiver’s sacrificial love and care who often give what they never had or can not afford to give their own daughters, are now stepping into the powerful role of giver.
They worked together to select, wrap, and present each caregiver their unmet childhood dream -Their “Sueno de Niña”!The emotion in the room was overwhelming. Women sobbed healing tears of joy. I couldn’t stop crying or smiling. It was SO powerful and SO Good!
Even after watching others receive their gift and wrapping arms around them as they wept with joy, I watched women doubt and armor up to avoid disappointment when it was their turn. One woman who’s childhood dream was a doll house teased that there would likely be a broom and mop set inside the box as she carefully tore the paper off. When she opened the doll house she was in total disbelief. “Is this really for me?”
“God is so faithful!- Truly a good, good father providing for us in ways our earthly parents can’t even when they want to.” Ada grabbed faces and told women they were not forgotten, reminding them how loved and precious they are.
“When the Lord restored the captives of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.”
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!