Dreams are Real

Recently I was counseling a young man that had some very valid concerns. He told me that he came from a single parent home where his mother worked low-income Jobs. They had no health insurance. He said, he was the oldest of three children. His sister was the middle child, and he had a younger brother. Their father left the family when he was only six years of age. His parents had been having problems for as long as he could remember. It was in the summer when his father moved out. One day when he and his siblings came from camp, their father was walking out the door, as they came in. There were no goodbyes or hugs for us. He did not stop to tell us that he would not be coming back.

My mother is a godly woman and always gives anyone the benefit of the doubt. That day she did the same thing for our father. He said after that could not call him dad because he was unable to remember a time when he had been a dad to any of them. My mother was a hard worker during our younger years. She cleaned houses and worked as a waitress at a local diner. Most days she was gone from early morning until after 11:00 PM. She was always apologizing for leaving us alone for such long periods of time. She always promised us that things would get better soon. I knew she was saying what she wanted us to believe. In my heart I felt sorry for my mom. It was as if she was being punished for a sin she had not repented for.

He related to me, after high school he gave up his dreams of attending college. He felt he had to give his mom a break and help at home. His mom told him that he could possibly attend community college. He said that community college was not enough for his dreams; they were bigger than that. He said that it had always been his dream to attend college and then become a doctor. His dream included his family. He said that schoolwork came easy to him, and he knew that he would be able to help his family with a good position as a physician. He said that in his heart he believed he would have been a good doctor, but for now he his family was more important.

His question to me was, how do you not lose your dreams? I told him that there are several kinds of dreams you want to live your life through. The ones that come and go in your mind and the dreams that your parents feel you would be suited for. I also told him a real dream is something you go to bed thinking about, you dream about several times a week, and you wake up every morning thinking of ways to make your dream come true. There is a saying, “if you do a job you love, then you never go to work.” I believe in this mindset and I know several people who have followed that track and they are incredibly happy. I told him to keep in mind that anything you want you must work to achieve it. I told him he would need to explore some alternative means to find the funds to get the education he needed to fulfil his dream.

Some Suggestions from Pathway to Relief

1. If becoming a doctor is your dream, read every book you can on becoming a Physician.

2. Whenever you get the chance to talk to a doctor about the profession, asked for a few moments of their time to talk about their profession.

3. Make a list of questions that are relevant, and that will not take up too much of their time.

4. Try to determine what specialty you would like to work in so that you can specialize your questions.

5. Start looking for a position you can intern/volunteer in at a hospital or clinic, so you can make sure that would be an environment you would be comfortable working in. This does not have to be a skilled position.

6. Once you determine your area of specialty, the next thing is to try and find a mentor. This individual can be a woman or a man.

7. Apply to several colleges and universities, make sure they give fellowships, grants, and scholarships.

8. Do not be afraid to ask for help, no one gets anywhere in life without assistance.

9. Keep in mind that nothing in life is easy. Never give up or give in.

I trust that I have assisted this young man because dreams are the start of wonderful careers.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog. I trust that you have found something beneficial.

Thank you

C. Daylee

Counselor and Therapies