I am a dreamer. I dream every night. Some are pure nonsense, some are vivid with bright colors and sounds. I have solved many problems through my dreams, written poems and songs that I scribbled on a notepad in the dark. Some dreams I choose not to remember. Other dreams I cling to hoping it will come again. Such was the dream the other night.
The other night we had a family gathering at our house.
Margaret & Hank blew in late – obviously having stopped at a farmer’s market or two along the way. Boxes and bags of fruits and veggies (and yes, plenty of watermelons) were scattered around the kitchen. I stepped over a box of lettuce that still had water droplets on the leaves (evidently fresh from the market) and decided for sanity’s sake to make my exit. I glanced out the window and saw Matthew come up the walkway with his handsome family.
Kids, siblings, nieces, nephews, and grandkids crowded the rooms. When Keri and her troops came in, I said “Oh, your dad said you weren’t coming. He said Jonathan was the only one coming!” She said, “We are ALL coming,” which meant ALL the nieces and nephews, kids and grandkids. Kellie had to take me for a ride around the block while she and Kayli laughed about an old boyfriend Kellie had seen. Karis and I walked out the back of the house and climbed down a cliff and peered into caves looking for extra bedrooms for all those gathered. Michael sat by the door. His face was beet red from some sort of malady. He laughed as he asked other family members if they had experienced a similar condition that could be genetically connected.
How was I going to feed all these folks when I had only a meager dinner in the oven to feed just a few mouths? Concern fleeted quickly as I knew it would all come together.
Amid all the commotion, I saw the side door open. All the preparations could wait, for coming through the door was my daddy. Before anyone else could see him, I led him to the front room. I grabbed my knitting out of the blanket on the sofa and as we sat down, I took his hand in mine. Oh, what a feeling! We just sat and chatted as we watched the comings and goings of family.
When I awoke from my dream, my heart was full, though it ended too quickly. Not only had I spent an evening with the warmth of family all around, but I got to spend some time with daddy. After five years of being separated from him, I relish those moments – even the dreams that bring us together again.