Harbinger Of Changes Up Ahead

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.

Dear Nancy: This dream is about two children in my life - my teenage son who has been in and out of trouble for a couple of years and my stepdaughter who is young and retarded. My stepdaughter lives with her mother because I cannot tolerate her. - Mickey

My teenage son is irresponsibly entertaining friends in his room in my house which I am restoring and putting up for sale. I am really disgusted with his lack of respect for my work. There is litter everywhere and writing on the wall that was done by my young stepdaughter. I am really feeling tired of dealing with unconscious children. I am happy that my mother left my son college money because he can pay for the damages and possibly learn from suffering the loss of that money. I know that life’s lessons will teach him and I am glad I don’t have to expend a lot of my own energy to teach him.

Dear Mickey: Our dreams are great indicators of our thoughts and feelings. This dream may be a picture of what is happening in your everyday life, but I will address it in a deeper way.

The house and all the different people in it are aspects of yourself. Renovating and selling the house indicates that you are getting ready for a big change in your life, but since the rooms are messy, you still have work to do to “clean up your act” and put away or get rid of old useless habits and ideas.

“Unconscious children” could be aspects of yourself and others that you disrespect and dishonor. The dream suggests that you are not valuing your own and others’ individuality and childlike nature. The stern parent has forgotten what it is to be a child, to be vulnerable, innocent, flexible and playful. The “writing on the wall” indicates the child is indeed conscious and needs your acknowledgment and acceptance.

You may need to expend time and energy in order to integrate all the aspects of yourself and to relearn spontaneity and naturalness. By honoring your own inner child, you will also learn to honor and respect all children.

Dear Nancy: I am a married woman who is trying to maintain an incredibly busy real estate career while being a wife and mother. At times I feel overwhelmed by it all, but this dream made me laugh. - Kate

I am visiting my mom and dad in Seattle. I am standing on a stairway looking at my mom and am overwhelmed by the realization that we all spend our lives trying not to die - by watching our diets, living sanely and working hard to keep our heads “above water.” By living this way we never really live at all and, in the end, we die anyway! This is such a great cosmic joke. I can feel this with a certainty that is in every cell of my body. I share this great realization with my family and we howl with laughter.

Dear Kate: Some dreams are so clear and to the point that they need no interpretation or explanation. I’m sure this one gave you a lift and a little different perspective on life. Now the challenge is to live up to that lesson and truly live a full, meaningful and FUN life.

xxxx