Dream Thief
A number of years ago 'dream catchers' became an item sold in gift shops.
When I first heard of dream catchers, I thought of all the dreams we have as young people that get blown away as we grow older and accept how the world works and we bury the dreams that 'can't ever happen' because they're unrealistic.
But that wasn't how these were supposed to work. Originally they were made by the women of the Ojibwe Tribe, to be hung above the babies to keep bad dreams (and spirits?) away, and allow only the good to stay with them.
In watching the show, 'The Ultimate Gift' there were four lessons the main character was sent out to learn in order to receive the Ultimate Gift from his Grandfather.
The first lesson was the value of work. This was a grandson who had never had to want for anything and had always had money showered upon him.
So, he spent a month learning what hard physical work was. Second lesson, he had to come back at the end of a month with one bona fide friend.
As often is the happening, when he had money he had innumerable friends. Friends who had their hands out for money. When he was dead broke, sleeping on the street they had all evaporated into thin air.
He did find one young girl who was intrigued by his plight and his need. The next lesson was the lesson of family.
That didn't go so well with his dysfunctional family, but he tried. And somewhere he also had to 'give' away several thousand dollars, even though he had no money of his own.
All along the way his new found friend, a young girl named Emily, kept up her friendship. She was a very pretty girl, not afraid to speak her mind. She was intent on taking care of her mother—Emily had a secret.
The grandson struggled to make it through the series of tests, the last of which had to do with having his own 'dream'.
Dream catcher or dream thief— the biggest thief is life. Or maybe we just trade dreams. Or we grow up and realize the value of dreams.
