It’s been a number of years since my parents died: nearly ten for my dad and about three for my mother. I’ve read a plethora of stories about people seeing their loved ones in a dream, shortly after their passing. In the dream the departed person reassures the grieving dreamer that they are now in a ‘better place’, or they express once more their eternal devotion, or they reveal where the family jewels are hidden. I half expected the same would happen for me. It never did. All these years I’ve remained un-visited…until now.
For the last two nights I’ve dreamed of my parents. In the first dream, they came to stay with us for a couple of days. We took them on a drive out to my friend’s house, in the mid-north of South Australia. Dad particularly enjoyed seeing the historical sites. Mother liked the rolling hills and the occasional glimpse of a kangaroo. They both enjoyed eating at my son-in-law’s bakery. We had a happy day together.
For deceased people, they both looked well. Mum was back in her right mind – no sign of dementia – and Dad could hear perfectly without his hearing aid. They didn’t leave any significant message; obviously the family jewels must remain hidden. On reflection, it’s disappointing that they both looked the age they were when they died. I hope it doesn’t mean that we spend eternity being old. If that’s the case, I’m rethinking my aim to make it to 100!
Last night I dreamed The Old Boy and I were in the back yard of my childhood home. My dad had died but my mother was still living. However, we had to prepare the place for sale as she couldn’t stay there any more. She remained inside the house, while we looked around. I was appalled at the state of the garden. Just about everything was dead. The plum tree was so dessicated a branch snapped off as I walked past. The flowers were black, shrivelled up wisps of dead foliage. I said, ‘This is terrible. Dad used to work so hard keeping this garden healthy, tidy and weed free. He’d be devastated to see it like this.’ It used to have fruit trees, flowers, some vegetables and green lawn but now it was a blackened wasteland.
Then I dreamed I was driving home. I saw two men fighting in the street. One fell down in the middle of the roadway. I drove past, but I could see the fellow didn’t get up and it wasn’t safe for him to stay there. I pulled over. As I looked in the rearview mirror I saw The Wonder Dog running up the road. I’d left him behind! I went to help the fellow up, and then put Rex in the car. The poor lad has already been abandoned once in his life. I felt so bad about forgetting him that I actually woke up, went looking for him (he’d gone outside for a wee – yay!) and gave him a big hug. He seemed a little startled, but lapped it up.
Okay, dream-interpreters, have at it!
PS I’d blame the medication but the dreams started before I had the monthly jab in the gut and, no, I didn’t eat pizza before going to bed.
ok Mrs Noble just lie on the couch and we’ll begin….
Promises…promises…
Sorry, Wendy, no flashes of inspiration in this quarter. I guess no one will call me Joseph…When it comes to the meaning of dreams, I figure that if I can’t work it out, I probably don’t need to know what’s going on in my psyche. As long as it’s sorting things out deep in those recesses, I’ll just ‘read’ the dream as a story – maybe an idea for a story I might write, or a scene in one of my stories.
A number of scenes from my dreams have made it into my stories. However, it’s a rare dream to last, in my conscious state, beyond the first few moments of waking up, so I pay attention when I can recall every second a day or so later. Our subconscious is a fascinating thing.
well at least I am not the only one who has mad dreams, I keep Grae amused every morning with my tales! In my experience, some dreams, very rare ones, are very lucid, and they are the ones when I think God must be trying to tell me something! I guess the first one is a happy and positive one and brought back happy times with your folks, the second one??? The decay around the house says it is time to move on from something!!! the rest? no idea!!! Dream on sister!
These dreams were the rare, lucid, total-recall, memorable ones, so that’s why I’m paying attention. As I said in the blog, I haven’t dreamt about either of my parents since their deaths (years) so I’m intrigued they would suddenly turn up now. I think the first one was my acceptance of their passing. I find your suggestion about the decay, intriguing and helpful. Now…what do I need to move on from? As for Rex…maybe I’m just picking up the vibe that he’s feeling insecure. 🙂
I’ve been having such weird dreams lately that I leave yours for dead – but, no, I’m not telling all the details here, except that most of them have had one or both my parents in them, & I’m usually back at high school. So that means they classify as really bad dreams!!! :0/
Oh, I didn’t share any of my truly weird ones. I have the most peculiar dreams most nights. I blame books, television, imagination and medication. These intrigued me due to their clarity and the fact that I can remember every detail even now, days later. Considering what has happened for you this year, and how far away you are from you family, I think there’s a logical explanation for your current dreams. <3
Damn: *your family. And I meant for a heart to appear. Obviously it didn’t.
I think Dreams are a gift from God and like much of what comes from God, we don’t always understand it. I must admit my Dad has been gone for over 16 years and I’ve only had one dream with him in it, and it made me feel so wonderful. I treasured that dream for months and months after.
How lovely that you had that special dream of your father! 🙂