BIG DREAM, LITTLE SLEEP

I was walking into the kitchen rubbing the sleep from my eyes when my husband Steven looked over at me.

“Morning. How’d you sleep?” He asked as he poured the water into the coffee maker.

“More weird dreams.” I sighed as I went over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “And I’m exhausted.”

“What was this one about?” He took his coffee mug from the cabinet and placed it on the counter.

“I honestly can’t explain it.” I went over and filled the tea kettle with water. “I was fighting with someone I don’t remember who or even what the argument was about. I was late to wherever I was going, and I had forgotten to put on my shoes.” I shook my head and sighed again. “Not sure what that was supposed to teach me.”

Steven laughed. “I don’t think all dreams are there to teach us something.”

I shrugged my shoulders and put the kettle on the stove. “Well, I’d like to think so.”

“Well, maybe that one was telling you to set your alarm for an earlier time and have your shoes by the door so you don’t forget them?” Steven laughed as he watched his cup begin to fill with coffee.

“Very funny.” I sighed again.

Our son Alex came into the kitchen. “What was very funny?” He asked.

“Your Mom had another weird dream.” Steven said as he took a sip of coffee.

“I’m telling you it’s your anxiety.” Alex said as he began making his coffee.

“What do I have to be anxious about?” I asked.

Both Steven and Alex stopped what they’d been doing and gave me surprised looks.

“Okay fine.” I sighed. “I’m an anxious person. I get that. But this dream had me in an argument with a stranger in my own house! I was running late to wherever I was supposed to be and I looked down and saw that I’d forgotten my shoes.” I looked over at Alex. “I couldn’t even get out of the house in this dream.”

“Well, maybe that’s a good thing.” Alex leaned against the counter and took a sip of his coffee.

“Why?” Now I was confused.

“Well, I’m pretty sure if you got a chance to open the front door you’d have seen…”

I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand as I finished the sentence for him. “The office chair waiting for me in the driveway!”

“Exactly!” Alex laughed. “How many times did you dream that one?”

I laughed and looked over at Steven. “That one was popping up almost weekly for a while there.” I shook my head at the memory. “I’d open the front door and see an office chair where my car had been parked. I’d be so mad that my car was switched with an office chair. I had to wheel myself down the street, looking over my shoulder to see where I was going!”

“See? You need to look on the bright side.” Alex shrugged his shoulders. “You haven’t had the office chair dream in a long time.”

“That’s true.” I started to yawn and quickly put my hand over my mouth to cover it. “But I’m still exhausted.” I sighed.