The dreams have gone with the birds and smiles. Dreams require freedom to soar. As we learned more about the country, we found that about 95 percent of the people consider themselves atheists. Even though China has a rich religious history, spirituality is mostly a relic of the past. And gone with it are their hopes for the future.
Dreams also require hope to thrive.
We had an interesting contrast to that when we visited Thailand, a place where 95 percent of the population is Buddhist. It is also a country where smiles and joy are embedded deeply in the culture. I never have seen a friendlier, happier or more centered people. And it became increasingly clear that happiness sprang from the rich ground of their spiritual beliefs. When viewing a kindergarten class starting its day, we had a wonderful counterpoint to the regimented exercises we saw in Beijing.