Dreams Do Not Have to Be Grand

I used to believe that dreams should look like skyscrapers, tall, loud, impossible to ignore. Something you could show the world and say, “Look. I made it.” For a long time, I thought that was the only kind of dream that mattered, the kind that justified all the effort and exhaustion.

But as the years passed, I began to notice that not all dreams arrive in that shape. Some don’t reach upward. Some stay close to the ground, quiet and unassuming, yet deeply meaningful in their own way.

I have this dream that others might find ridiculous. It isn’t about achieving something remarkable or becoming someone extraordinary. It’s about sitting in a café, ordering a drink, and talking about life. No rushing, no checking the time, no pressure to be anywhere else. Just being present, breathing, and allowing the moment to stay.

Just recently, I found myself living that dream.

My sister, who has just moved to the city and is now living with us, and I went to Krispy Kreme together after we did our grocery shopping. We sat at a rectangular table by the wall, a quiet corner where we could linger without feeling rushed. We ordered our drinks, shared donuts, and talked about life in a way that felt easy and familiar. We took photos, not to capture perfection, but to hold on to the memory of being there together.

What stayed with me wasn’t the place or the food, but how it felt. Somewhere between the sips and the conversation, a calm kind of happiness settled in. It didn’t need to be loud or impressive. It simply existed, and that was enough to stay with me.

That moment reminded me that dreams don’t always push us forward toward something bigger or brighter. Sometimes they gently pull us back. Back to ourselves. Back to the people we love. Back to moments we once thought were too ordinary to matter.

Beneath the mess of expectations and beyond the misses we keep replaying, there is still life waiting quietly for us. And in that quiet corner of my life, I found something precious. A reminder that the simplest dreams can be the ones that bring us back to ourselves. - MESSY E.

💌 Subscribe to Miss and Mess
A journal of reflections, resilience, and the quiet power of living through life’s misses and messes.
Scroll below and hit “Yes to the Mess” — and never miss a post.