Dream Weaver

At night we drift off to sleep without any control over the dreams or nightmares we may encounter.  When we awaken, next morning, it takes a minute or two to figure out the reality. Sometimes we open our eyes, feel peace surrounding us and out of the blue it hits us, like a ton of bricks.  We did something yesterday, that is going to ruin today….. Or we or someone in our family is leaving or sick or dying.  A sense of panic and inertia strikes us. We breathe deep and say like Scarlett O’Hara, ‘Tomorrow’s another day.’

But all dreams are not born equal. Buddy’s mother,  Momma’s Aunt, (although 100% Scottish born and bred) was a Spanish Marilyn Munroe look-alike, tall and curvaceous, with black hair, streaked with glowing hints of red and blue in the sun.

In Momma’s dream, a sister of Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe dropped by her home in Ontario to let Momma know she and Daddy just had to go to Ruis’ Funeral Home, back home in Quebec that very night because it was the twenty-five year anniversary of Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe’s death and her husband, Uncle WW2 Sergeant was planning an anniversary that would amaze everyone.

Well, it was a fair distance from Ontario, maybe astro travel would work, but we would try, because we all adored Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe (besides Momma’s Mother-God-Rest Her-Soul,  would be observing and recording non-attendance.  Momma would never be forgiven if she was a no-show).

When Momma and Daddy arrived at the Funeral Parlor (don’t ask how, Momma was vague about the devil in the details), there was a long line up outside consisting of family and friends that they had not seen in years. They caught up with all the gossip, laughing at the absurdities of life,  commiserating about Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe and Uncle WW2 Sergeant’s son, Cousin Buddy, being AWOL since the mother he had adored, had been taken from him. Then again, there was the promise he made his Father. Well, Uncle WW2 Sergeant didn’t listen to him and married that ‘other’ woman, but Buddy kept his promise. Not only that, Buddy was right. Right or wrong, no one had seen him since.   Over the years Buddy had few supporters (except his club members who thought of him often), but the old folks seemed to have mellowed in their opinions in this setting. Also, they just wished he could be with them, in honor of the strong bond he and his mother shared, since it was them against the world on many occasions.

Finally the line snaked in to the Funeral Parlor.  They were in the room with the coffin.  Momma saw Uncle  WW2 Sergeant, looking smart in his best Legion Bib and Tucker, ready to go fight WW3, if needs be, standing by his late wife’s casket.

As Momma approached, Uncle WW2 Sergeant excitedly told her that Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe had a special message for her.  At that, Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe dressed in a white sleeveless dress, to best show her shiny black hair and perfect tan, sat up silently, in her coffin.  With out saying a word, she opened her big, sparkly brown eyes, rolled them to the left, then to the right, closed them and lay back down.

It was a miracle, Uncle WW2 Sergeant proclaimed, Momma had been the only person sent a message, but no one knew what it all meant exactly.

Momma’s Aunt had  died within six months of being diagnosed with cancer. And so it was, exactly six months after the dream, Momma was diagnosed with cancer. She successfully lived through Surgery, Chemotherapy and Radiation.  Is it not fitting, through a dream, Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe was warning Momma to “look at and listen to” her body?

What do you think  Gen, Tigger and my Incredibly Wise Wide Eyed Stuffed Monkey Ruby?  Anything like that ever happen to you? I hate those dreams where some hungry mutt is chasing me because I look like a yummy snack.  I whimper, Momma sits up, pats me and says, ‘It’s okay, Jakita.  It is just a dream. Go back to sleep.’ I am still waiting for a dream with a message.  I am just saying, I am open to it, okay?

Thank you,  Aunt Spanish Marilyn Munroe.  You were always so strong and brave.  Thirty-nine years old was too young to die.

Momma says she learned a lot from you, both here on earth and of course, when you materialized mysteriously in a dream.  You saw first hand what your death did to your young family and wanted to make sure  history did not repeat itself.

They don’t make them like our Auntie anymore!!!!