You’re Being Called To Depths Of Life
Dear Nancy: My wife and I are taking care of my mother, who is dying of cancer, and we recently brought her home to be with us in her dying process.
My dreams of late have been full of scenes and activity around water that I have felt afraid of. This dream was incredibly different and came to me the night before we picked my mother up. - Paul
I am observing a boy who is afraid to dive into the water. One night he is standing on the shore and he is “called” out to a boat, so he works up the courage and dives in, knowing there is something dangerous lurking out there.
The boat is towing a lighthouse and is running around in circles, unattended. The boy’s job is to anchor the boat. In so doing, he becomes a dolphin along with a girl, who has also become a dolphin. They are very happy together.
A woman, who was a friend of theirs when they were human, is sitting on the edge of a dock. The boy swims up and nuzzles her. It is my nose that touches her. I swim up, rise out of the water, and look her right in the eyes. Her right eye is white, blind. I lift up my glasses so she can look closely into my eyes and see who I am. She recognizes me and seems amused.
My friend and I are very happy to be dolphins and we are trying to get the woman to join us.
Dear Paul: In your past dreams you have been fearful of “jumping into the water.” In this dream, you are “called,” which is an appeal or requirement to immerse yourself into the emotional and primordial depths of life. This is a call to care-take and be emotional support for your mother at this time of her life.
The task is to anchor the boat, to provide stability and security in a situation that seems out of control. The boat is towing a lighthouse. Lighthouses provide safety in navigating difficult waters and are the assurance that spiritual help, or God’s light, is present and on the scene. This light gives the ability to see in the dark. It is consciousness and gives reassurance of a safe journey.
The transformation from boy to dolphin is a message that you can and will be confident and joyful in this undertaking. It suggests that you and your wife (both as dolphins) have the capacity to feel totally comfortable in this role.
You are immersed in the depths and are inviting your mother to join you in the water. You become the guide, the reassuring one, and she recognizes that in you.
Her blind right eye may be an indication that the masculine part of her nature, which is the part that is concerned with the outer world, has shut down. The left eye is observing now. This is the feminine part that is introspective and concerned about the spiritual world.
The undertaking of helping a fellow soul through the journey of dying can be one of the most gratifying and profound of human experiences. I’m sure, Paul, that you will be an incredible source of comfort and guidance for your mother.
This column is intended as entertainment. But psychologists who work with clients’ dreams say that dreams can hold a tremendous amount of significance; a particularly disturbing or repetitive dream may indicate the need to see a therapist.
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