Chasing Dreams and Solar Eclipses: To the Moon and Back

Hello Star Gazers,

“I’ll drop down a rope so you can climb to the moon.”

We often forget to look up. The solar eclipse offers a rare opportunity to pause and gaze towards the sky.

For my children, both space enthusiasts, this event is a spark of “wow,” as Harris III might put it, igniting their dreams. We’re turning this event into a family adventure that promises to fuel their astronomical aspirations.

But it also brings to my attention the importance of dreaming big.

My 8-year-old daughter aspires to be a rocket scientist. She’s determined to design the rocket that will carry her younger brother, a hopeful astronaut, to the moon. Their plan is simple yet profoundly ambitious.

Once he lands on the moon, my son intends to lower a rope back to Earth so his sister can join him. Their imaginations display sibling camaraderie and a shared dream of reaching the cosmos.

This dream is not new; they’ve had a plan since my 3-year-old started talking. They often share the statement, “I’ll drop down a rope so you can climb to the moon.”

As adults, it’s easy to become entangled in the practicalities of life, or the “how,” as Harris III explains. Too often, we let our dreams diminish under the weight of responsibilities.

Watching my children, I’m reminded of the power and necessity of dreaming.

For our family, the solar eclipse highlights the importance of nurturing not only my children’s dreams but also my own. It’s a chance for us to dream together, to imagine the impossible and ask, “Why not?” and “What if?”

It is important that we dream together. Just as my son plans to lower a rope for his sister, we should find ways to bring others along on our journeys, to share in our dreams, and to make the experience richer for all.

According to my children, in our family, dreams are not solitary endeavors; they are collective aspirations that bind us together, making us stronger and more connected.

My husband and I are trying to find our way back to “wow.” It is good that we have two of the best teachers in the world with us.

If NASA ever needs a budding engineer or astronaut, I am raising them in Nashville. Between school, being a pilot, and becoming a Disney Imagineer, my children might have a slot in their busy schedules.

These childhood dreams—building rockets and exploring the stars—might seem fanciful to some, but who’s to say they won’t one day become a reality?

As we stand together, watching the moon obscure the sun, casting an otherworldly shadow upon us, I’ll hold my children close and whisper, “Dream big, for the universe is listening.” Under the moon’s shadow, we’ll be closer to their dreams than ever before, tethered not by a rope but by our shared sense of wonder and infinite possibility.

Remember to dream, to look up at the stars and see not just points of light but destinations. Remember that every great achievement began as a dream, as someone looked up at the sky and said, “One day.”