Expectations

I just finished reading "Anne of the Island" (3rd book in the Anne of Green Gables series) and feel that my I have a bit of a greater "scope for the imagination" now that that lovely book has filled my heart.  Anne has several times in which her girlhood ideals and romanticisms are shattered by real-life experiences.  Marriage proposals are not what they "should" be and getting a B.A. does not bring the thrill that she thought it would.  I love and hate this story because I can identify with it so much.  I think God puts in our hearts expectations and hopes of glorious and "thrilling" things.  I constantly imagined and played out in my head how things would be when I was older.  I wanted things to be so rapturous, sending me to the heights of all that is wonderful.  There were some things that were shattered early on: the expectation that your parents will live forever; the expectation that you can have a wonderful family; the expectation that you would have a best friend with whom you could grow up; the expectation that you'd get an education and make a difference in this world.  I'm not trying to be cynical, I'm just saying that I've had a lot of dreams that didn't come true and it hurts. But regardless of the unending argument between philosophers and poets, I would rather dream than not.  I'm needing a bit of help, though, and I think this is why God wants me to keep writing.  Maybe there are some dreams that do come true.  I have a husband who is more amazing than I could have ever asked for!  That's definitely a point for the dream side.  Maybe there are more out there.  And why do we (I) think that the only dreams that count are the ones we had as children.  What if the dreams we have now are just as magical and fairy-like and wonderful?  What if the dreams we have now deserve just as much attention as the ones that I had when I was a tender lass of 6 or 12 or 16?  Hopefully I'll keep walking down "Lover's Lane" and visiting the "Dryad's Bubble" to cultivate my hopes and dreams.  God made this dreamer's heart.  I don't need to be ashamed before Him.  In fact, I can invite Him to join me in my dreaming place and ask Him to color my dreams with colors that only He has.  And maybe some day, even as I live, I'll see these things come true.  I'm not talking about wishing on a  star.  I'm talking about the real deep desires of the heart and mind that come from... somewhere.  I shouldn't give up hope and I hope that you don't either.