To fulfill a dream is one of the most important experiences of our lives. After all, what is all this about? Why are we here? To live in a routine? I don’t know about you, but I cannot live like this. So, I live to realize my dreams. But for me, also and just as important, is to help fulfill the dreams of other people. And that’s what I came here to share with you.
Here in Brazil, I am part of a social project called “Sonhando Juntos” (in English: Dreaming Together). We are a group of volunteers who, once a month, spends three, to four hours in public hospitals working with children in cancer treatment, among other life-threatening illnesses. Here’s the FB link to that page; https://www.facebook.com/sonhandojuntos
We have the following goals: to bring education, recreation, entertainment, and lots of joy, love and attention to our little warriors. We are also the ears the shoulders for the families of the children, because children are hospitalized for a long time in hospital, and their families need friends. The work is extremely enriching and rewarding. Volunteers feel a strong sense of purpose.
Our true goal, through the activities which we apply with the kids, is find out what are their big dreams and desires. What matters to us is not material, we don’t want to identify what are the toys that they like. We are hunters of unforgettable moments! So we identified through drawings, jokes and conversations which are theirs desires, and once discovered, we have assembled a team to accomplish, by surprise, a great moment.
Sometimes we have very little time. There have been dreams where the child couldn’t be have from hospital, and his dream was to be a fireman, so we had to take a group of firefighters to the hospital for the boy know them, and live this experience. Shortly thereafter, he passed away, but the feeling that made their last moments on earth being special is unforgettable.
We also have many moments of joy, because some kids are cured and we can make your dreams come true outside the hospital, like going to the zoo, walking through Rio de Janeiro, going to the movies, go to a ballet, or cook with a famous cuisine chef and etc. Some of these dreams are basic programs for us, but for these low-income children, facing so many difficulties with their families, it is a big thing.
This project transforms lives.
What I’ve learned: to be grateful, to be positive, to dream big, to identify what is good, even in moments of grief, giving more value for every single moment of my life, giving more value to each person, not to judge the error of the people, to be simple, to be a friend, to be resilient, to be loyal, to be devoted, to be helpful. I learned to give each hug goodbye as a real hug. A full-body hug, from soul to soul. When you deal with death, you learn what is worthwhile in life. And, of course, embrace people is one of the things most worth in this crazy thing that is live. Please make some favors for you: learn to give a real hug, learn to look deeply into the eyes. Learn to be grateful, even with those who harmed you — at least you learned to be stronger. Learn to say “no” — learn this, is the greatest proof of love to yourself, and it’s liberating! As wonderful as dancing in the rain of summer.
Working with children in hospitals is not an activity that everyone can. But, there are other ways to volunteer. When you donate to someone, the biggest beneficiary is yourself. Your soul is always smiling. OK, working in hospital often can harden you, anyway, you learn to be stronger. But nothing that a photo of the smiling Sammy can’t reverse.
Here in Brazil there is a saying; “you can learn through love or through pain” — For me, no matter how you learned (or will learn) to give more value to life, what matters is you make love a verb. When you make love a verb, you learn to love yourself, learn to love people, learn to love life.
I wish all good things in the world for you!
