i had a dream the other morning and it left me smiling throughout the day. it was a dream about mom. she is the age that she is right now but the dream took place at the old house, in the living room. dad was there. myself and others that i could not see were there. it was late in the evening, after darkness had fallen, but the hands of the clock were placed at 6:15 pm. mom was healthy looking. she had meat back on her bones and had returned to her robust proportions. she was no longer unsteady and she was wearing those black horn rimmed glasses of hers from the 80's. she looked youthful and beautiful as she sat there on the south side of the wood burning stove. a pot of water sat on the stove, bubbling and letting steam drift upwards from its lip. she was holding a bowl of stew in both hands as she sat on the cracked linoleum floor, dipping her spoon in it rhythmically as she ate her dinner. she had been sick for so very long. but here, she had grown stronger, color had returned to her cheeks and that old familiar light had returned to her eyes. she smiled and i felt such a mixture of joy and sorrow, such a pang of bittersweet emotion it was. joy that health had returned to her and sorrow that so much time had been lost to reach this point.
it was such a beautiful dream and i carried it with me throughout the next day, smiling every so often.
she is my prayer.
