Unfinished Canvas
~ Scott Walker
It suddenly occurred to me that I am not going to live long enough to see all my dreams come true in this life. Oddly enough, it doesn’t bother me. I’ve already had more than my share of life’s sweets, and I take pleasure in seeing others accomplish what I cannot.
I always wanted to have a fix-it shop. My brother Tom in Kalamazoo, Michigan, fixes power tools for surgeons. I enjoy hearing about his work. “I would love to make a commercial,” I say to myself, every time I see a humorous one on TV. My brother Mark in Tampa, Florida, makes commercials for a living. I love to work with wood, but have no time for it. My brother Bob in Lowell, Indiana, designs and builds fine furniture, and has a waiting list of orders. My sister Linda Joy is the single, free spirit that appeals to my restless bones and gypsy heart. And my most persistent dream is to live on a small farm, like the one on which my sister Gloria lives near South Bend, Indiana. Perhaps my daughters will write the great American novel that I won’t, and maybe my grandchildren will travel to Australia, where I would like to go.
Increasingly, I find more joy in helping others reach their dreams than I do in having my own dreams come true. When one of my students says, “I would like to become a teacher,” something comes alive in me, because I train teachers for a living. My dream is to fulfill his dream. I have a friend who told me once that “some people are good at saying prayers. Others are good at answering prayers.” It’s the same with dreams, I think. All of us will leave this earth with an unfinished canvas, but no matter. If I can contribute a few strokes of the brush to the masterpiece, then my life has been worthwhile.
Lord, You scattered the joys of life among us. Together we can make our way to heaven, where all our dreams will come to pass.
