Category Archives: Dreams

A House Dream in 3 Acts

Dreams

Prologue

One of my recurring dream themes is us moving to a new house. I’m alternately excited and sad — excited about the new house and new possibilities and sad that we are leaving our old house. This dream must have been just before I awoke, because it was so vivid. I wrote it down while drinking my morning coffee.

Act I

We found a new home in Georgetown (maybe it was Georgetown, maybe it wasn’t) and started fixing it up. Our bedroom was spacious with a fireplace. Clare’s room was already sparkly and I loved it. I was surprised that it had a small set of stairs leading to a bathroom with two stalls and a sink in it. It seemed cool at first, but then Totty came in and said she thought it was creepy. I immediately saw that too.

Act II

Dean and I were sitting at the dining room table in our old house in Bethesda and I was sad that we were selling it.

Act III

I was driving to Georgetown and got lost. I decided to abandon the car and take Metro instead (nevermind that Metro does not go to Georgetown). I got off the Metro and walked down the street to our new house. On the way I saw a kid with an orange balloon running wild. He ran into the street. I expressed my concern to the parents but they told me to mind my own business. I could hear them talking about me for blocks.

I never got to see the new house again because I then took Metro to go home. I saw Rosanne and we hugged and walked arm-in-arm. I asked about her new job — she said it was in a “canine clinic” and she had adopted a dog. I stopped by her work and saw tiny puppies. I told Rosanne about my latest house dream, which by this time I realized was a dream.

I woke up happy that I’d had a house dream.

House created by Co-Pilot AI

Dream screen

Dreams, Humor, Memories, ,

Apparently, when I was just shy of five-years-old and we were moving from Mountain Street to Heine Avenue, I asked my mom if we could take my dream screen with us to the new house. It seems that I thought my nighttime dreams needed something that was external to me. This was an oft-told story in our house.

Mom must have been planning on making me a card or just documenting that memory in a drawing that she didn’t follow-up on. It’s also possible she was going to use it in her Famous Artists course.

Line drawing of a child asking an adult in a room full of packing boxes, "when we move will I take my dream screen with?"

A note from Richard

Death, Dreams, Family, Friends, Memories, Writing, , ,

In Mom’s final years she reconnected with Richard, a friend from school. He was kind to her and genuinely loved her. He spent part of each day with her, sometimes spending the night. This was especially helpful after her dementia diagnosis. He knew about it long before my brother and I did; although I’d seen some signs I chose to ignore them.

While Richard was staunchly Catholic and went to church every Sunday, he didn’t force his religious views on anyone.

Once Mom was moved to my brother’s house Richard visited her at least twice weekly even though she rarely seemed to know who he was. She was always very happy to see him, so she must have known he was someone she loved and who loved her.

The night Mom died I had a dream that she rose out of her bed and seemed to want to escape the house, standing at the window on her tiptoes, arms fluttering behind her like a moth, eventually shattering into millions of sparks. I recounted this dream to Pastor Keith who we asked to speak at her funeral and he included it verbatim in his sermon. After the service Richard asked for a copy of both Pastor Keith’s sermon and what I said at the funeral.

A few days after the funeral I received this note from Richard:

Dear Donna [sic],

Thank you for your letter of your mom’s life and last night.

I really liked your dream of Pat’s looking out of the window at a bright light on tippy toes.

I think that whs the time she passed and touched the face of God.

May she rest in peace,

Richard Peabody, September 2016