This brand, to us, represents a journey with an open heart. The phrase — “chasing windmills” — captures our commitment to pursue dreams, even when they seem impossible.
It’s about chasing an ideal bigger than yourself; it’s about remaining an optimist even in the face of cynicism; it’s about striving to live up to heroic visions of what we can be, what our children can be, and what our world can be.
As devotees of literature may recognize, our brand name of “Chasing Windmills” finds its roots in Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quijote. To some, Don Quijote was naive and delusional. And, to a degree, he was. But he was also an eternal optimist and adventurer whose belief in a grander reality improved the lives of those fortunate souls who counted him as a friend. When the hard realities of life told him to become a resigned cynic, he chose to believe that a more beautiful and perfect world existed, if only he worked for it.
Sarah’s dad, who passed away from cancer over ten years ago, loved to gift classical music to his family and friends. When we were just college kids, Sarah’s dad gave JP a CD of the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha (the story of Don Quijote). He saw JP’s youthful optimism and idealism. He said that the song, The Impossible Dream, reminded him of JP.
These are the lyrics:
*****
To dream, the impossible dream
To fight, the unbeatable foe
To bear, with unbearable sorrow
To run, where the brave dare not go
To right, the unrightable wrong
And to love, pure and chaste from afar
To try, when your arms are too weary
To reach, the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
And to fight for the right, without question or pause
To be willing to march . . . for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie, will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage
To reach
The unreachable
The unreachable
The unreachable stars
I'll always dream, the impossible dream
And yes I will reach
The unreachable
Stars
*****
The recent days, weeks and months have tested our belief in impossible dreams.. The pandemic, the scourge of gun violence, the inequalities that permeate our society…at times, it all seems too much to bear. Cynicism is a logical option.
And yet, the words of Sarah’s Dad — echoing through Don Quijote — remind us to hold onto our optimism and idealism. This journey of ours, to capture the adventurous spirit of childhood, is deeply personal to us.
We renew our commitment to reach for the stars and do all we can for change, though everyday small acts with great love. The world will be better for this belief in impossible dreams.