Shannon Philpott

Sweet Dreams

Dreams have always fascinated me to the point that it irritates me when I can’t recall the details of my dreamy sagas. There are times when I wake up agitated knowing that something in my dreams sparked the feeling. There are times when I wake up at peace knowing that something or someone inspired me while I slept.

 Dreams are mysterious, though, and as much as it bothers me to not know, it’s probably best that I don’t.

 I think that it’s important to have a mysterious element to our lives. It keeps us on our toes, builds anticipation, and renews hope of something fresh and new every time we close our eyes. I welcome my dreams each night, not knowing what to expect.

 My daughter is a dreamer, too, but she is also a dream planner. We have a ritual each night where she asks me, “What should I dream about mom?” I usually make up something out of the blue like “unicorns and bologna” or “rainbows and elephants” and each night she smiles and says, “No, give me something else.”

 No matter if she is at home in her own bed, at a friend’s house, or an hour away at her dad’s for a weekend, she will call me for her nightly dream plan and I will promptly reply with something unique and downright ridiculous. She smiles, giggles, and even rolls her eyes at times, but she knows I’ll have an answer each time.

 The reality is that my daughter doesn’t like the unexpected and feels secure knowing what she will dream about. It’s not about mystery for my sleeping beauty; it’s about security. As a parent, I give her the security she needs with a splash of mystery because we all could use a little more mystery in our lives.

 Tonight, as she goes to bed at her dad’s house, I hope that she dreams of unicorns and bologna and thinks of me. As I go to bed, unaware of where my dreams will take me, I hope she inspires me during my dreamy saga so that in the morning, I’ll wake with a sense of peace.

 Sweet dreams …

- Shannon Philpott
Blog Entry: Oct. 18, 2009

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October 18, 2009 - Posted by sphilpott | Blog, Parenting, Reflecting | bedtime stories, dream interpretations, parenting, rainbows, sweet dreams, unicorns