Tis Better to Give Than Receive or Not?

Life comes up at you sometimes, just like art. And it can have the shadowed side in ascendancy.  From an unexpected death to a fatal accident then on to life changing illnesses and finally towards one eternal surrender; lives changed in my speck of the universe as 2012 fell off life's tree, one curled leaf at a time. Frost crystals in the dew on empty branches reflected the emergence of 2013, and in the stillness of that shimmering, lives kept changing.  As fall turned into winter, it seemed best to give rather than to receive, for life's gifts were harsh in their cold dryness, offering little pleasure or comfort in their emergence.  The early spring brought some baby birds birthed high in the trees, but no owls, just more illnesses requiring a tending that has led to daily heartbreak and tears.  The owl parents flew away to hunt and live despite the lack of tiny shrieks that always heralds the next generation. 

So, the spring has been quieter and in that space I took time to consider- Is it better to give rather than to receive? If we only give pleasure and receive hardships, how do we learn to receive pleasure? It is certain that we often give hardships in ways both knowing and unknowing; despite our best intentions never to do so.  In that questioning spirit, I chose to receive and found the receiving so hard, it made me furious at my helplessness. Was it better to receive? It did not seem to be. And then, in a moment of receiving, I was asked about MY hopes and dreams. Did I still dream I wondered? Lately, dreams seemed lost in a landscape of ever-changing nightmares.  And then, my hopes and dreams came up at me, just like that, just like art. You will find them under Hopes and Dreams to the right of life's truths.

I wonder now, What are your hopes and dreams?
Can you tell me as I tell you?