Once upon a time, there was a secret that many grown-ups had long forgotten — that every night, once all the stars had risen, the River of Dreams flowed silently beneath every child’s bed.
That river couldn’t be seen with the eyes, but it could be felt once your heart grew still enough.
And if you folded a paper boat before bed and set it beside your pillow, the boat would sail along the River of Dreams and carry you to whatever place you wanted most that night.
A boy named Mek learned this from his grandmother. She told him that where the paper boat took you depended on what was in your heart before you fell asleep.
On nights when your heart was full of worry, the boat would carry you to a calm sea where a gentle breeze blew until the worry melted away. On nights when you missed someone, the boat would carry you to meet them. On nights when your heart felt light and happy, the boat would carry you on adventures to lands that didn’t really exist.
Mek folded a paper boat every night — sometimes small, sometimes large, depending on his mood.
Tonight, he was thinking of his grandfather, who had passed away long ago.
He folded the paper boat carefully, set it beside his pillow, and closed his eyes.
The River of Dreams flowed in gently. The boat lifted and carried him along the silver water, past a glowing forest, past a field of stars, all the way to a small garden with a great big mango tree.
Grandfather sat beneath the mango tree, smiling just as he always had.
Mek ran and hugged him, feeling warm even though he knew it was a dream.
“Grandpa is always here,” Grandfather said softly. “Every night you need me, just fold your boat and let your heart come find me.”
Mek woke up the next morning feeling light and warm inside.
The paper boat was still beside his pillow, its edges slightly damp, as if it had truly sailed through water.
He picked it up and looked at it for a long while, then placed it on the shelf in his room, waiting for the next night.
Sweet dreams.
Moral: The memory of someone we love never really disappears — it stays with us always, in our hearts. And in our dreams, we can go back and meet them whenever we need to. Before bed, try thinking of someone you love, and let those happy memories carry you into your dreams.
