The phrase “I have a dream” resonates with us. We can be filled with an inexpressible hope which leads to a reality of either success or, well, a “crash and burn” on the other. Dreams give us something to look forward to, a goal to reach, and can even be downright inspiring.

My brother, Dillon, has a dream, but he has something that hinders him from bringing that dream to life. Autism. This brain disorder has made it so he cannot manage an independent life for himself, though he has a hope of one day being fixed.

You see, Dillon wants to become a tugboat captain. He spends inordinate amounts of time (at least from my perspective) reading about machines and boats and the way things work, so it is only natural that he would want to pursue something related to those fields.

But a captain of a tugboat? Perhaps that is somewhat a lofty goal for one challenged as he is, but then, we all have something that stands in our way from pursuing our passions. The question is, will it be allowed to stop you from reaching for your dream?

My family believes Dillon’s hopes are important, so my dad decided to support my brother as he reached for his dream.

He began by looking up plans for building a mini wooden tugboat, but as he researched, numerous obstacles began to surface. Building this boat could take years and would require large sums of money. We didn’t want to give up, but perhaps this dream would not be feasible after all.

We began to share the story with others, resulting in Dillon’s own website where friends could donate to his dream. This was an unexpected delight to allow him to read what others said to encourage him onward and he, with my dad’s help, could respond back.

But even then we couldn’t see this coming together anytime soon. Then my dad saw a real mini tugboat for sale in Oregon – not what we had in mind, but maybe it would work.

Maybe Dillon’s dream could still come true.

When my dad decided to buy the tug, he didn’t tell Dillon he was bringing it home and it was a complete surprise when Dillon walked out the back door. My brother does not show excitement in the ordinary ways such as I do, jumping and yelling and racing around like a chicken with her head chopped off. No, he just begins to talk. And talk. And talk. And before you know it, you have been informed on exactly how the two silver smokestacks that emerge from the tug are attached, how they function and why they are the best things ever.

The tug has been christened “Heart Strings” in honor of the fact that Dillon, and Dillon’s dream, tug on my dad’s heartstrings.

Our little Heart Strings is a 16-foot log pusher built in 1956 and was actually used in the lumber industry for transporting logs down waterways. The classic boat colors of black and rust decorate its hull, and it is powered by a gas motor that my brother would be delightedly eager to explain to you in detail should you happen to ask him about it.

This sturdy tug still needs some modification, but Dillon has already adopted his role as captain with ease, and the boat hasn’t even been on the water. One rainy day a couple of weeks ago, Dillon looked outside and saw that the boat was getting wet.

His wheels began to turn. Wet plus metal equals rust. Rust equals bad for tugboat. Therefore, the boat must be wiped down.

With this in mind, Dillon turned to my dad. “Are you going to swab the deck or what?” he said, in complete seriousness. Ah, the fine art of delegation.

Needless to say, my dad wasn’t terribly keen on that proposition, but still, we got a good laugh out of it.

My family has been encouraged throughout this ongoing journey, both by those that see Dillon regularly and by people who have followed his story on Facebook. We are very grateful to those people, and it is with their help that we continue to move forward with Heart Strings’ repairs.

Dillon’s story is not without struggle, as autism will continue to be an obstacle to overcome the rest of his life, but he has not let it stop him from having dreams and achieving his goals with support in place!

His dream to be a tugboat captain is becoming a reality – Heart Strings is a real tugboat and Dillon will be the real captain. He will be able to operate the boat himself, with dad just standing by and enjoying the ride, with the occasional swabbing of the deck.

With the help of family, friends and people who believe dreams are worth pursuing, Dillon comes closer and closer to putting that tug on the ocean and finally being able to go tugging on Heart Strings.

To learn more about Dillon’s dream, visit his website: http://www.grahamalive.com/Tug.html Donations are taken through: gofundme.com/heartstringstug.

This article was provided by 15-year-old Marina Graham, Dillon’s younger sister. She has a passion for creative writing and drawing dragons.