Dreamland

Early in the morning is usually when it happens. Before the first yellow, orange finger rays of sunlight reach across the sky and screens its way through the blinds, there is but a moment. A special moment in time when dreams and reality mix before the fine line between them slowly ebbs away in the cool morning light.

It’s a time where our subconscious – full of illogical thoughts and deeds, some dare not acted upon — flows into our conscious mind, much like a torrent of rapids heading for some great water fall; unsuspecting and unprepared. We can no more stop it from happening as we can stop the waters from flowing over the falls and crashing unto the rocks below. Nor should we - for I am convinced that it is our dreams which give us a glance into the future, or past, or perhaps both.

I believe that dreams guide us to where we should go, and our nightmares show us where we shouldn’t. Through the years many great minds have tried to unlock the secrets of the dream world. Some say to understand the meaning of dreams is to understand one’s soul. Don’t know about that.

Others say dreams are the cause of déja vu. When you think you recognize someplace you’ve never been or somebody you’ve never met. Could you have actually been there and meet that person in a dream you didn’t remember? It’s possible.

Dreams sometime show themselves during the day – reflected on the face of every young child. Dreams of lives not yet lived. Unlived and unrealized dreams are also reflected in the sad, graying eyes of the elderly, but not my dad’s. Last month, at age 79, he bought a house. He and his wife of 19 years are going to move out of the condo. There’ll be walls to paint, new furniture to buy and a small garden in the side yard. And there’ll be something else. Dreams once again in my father’s sparkling blue eyes.

I have seen my share of dreams and my share of nightmares - some even of my own creation. Even so, I have never stopped dreaming and never stopped giving thanks. On Thanksgiving Day next week I will give thanks once more - for I indeed have much to be thankful for.

I look around and see my only son off at college and doing well - now sitting across the table from me eating his second piece of pecan pie. Around us, a brand new house built with love and care. We are all in good health. Our two cats run around inside, our big black lab in a wonderful backyard outside, and above all else, I see The Wife. Over there reading a book in a corner of the library built just for her. The Wife - a person I truly never dreamed I’d be married to. She is the person who’s made all of my dreams reality.

Early in the morning, when finger rays of sunlight pry at your eyelids – wake up quickly. Write down your dreams - in that brief fleeting moments before they recede back into dreamland from whence they came. Once I did that – but not anymore. This Thanksgiving, the first of many in our new home, I can truthfully say that all of my dreams have now come true.