The Dreamcatcher

I found myself sitting idly in front of the large antique hope chest that my husband had given to me when we were first married,  The chest was a history of all the memories and dreams that had fulfilled our fifty years of marriage,,,little things,,,,the little marzipan figurine from the top tier of our wedding cake; our daughter’s baby bracelet.  There were other items that could preserve the test of time.  I was merely reminiscing, for I would soon be moving from my ten room mansion in Connecticut to a one room apartment in Florida’s Sunny Gardens...not a nursing home, but a small community for retirees.

When I looked down at what treasure I would find next, my heart skipped a beat.  In my hand, was a small pink velour envelope with red trimming.  Inside that bag was the most ornate dream catcher that I had found while on a high school trip to Mystic, Connecticut,

At the time our history class was studying American History and our teacher wanted us to celebrate the culture and art that the native americans offered.  There happened to be a native American reservation and museum in Mystic, which  was less than an hour away.

I found my way into the museum store and was enthralled with the sight before me;  The shelves were lined with handmade dolls, beaded shirts and jewelry.  It was then that I spotted the dreamcatcher tucked away in the corner of the store.

The curator of the museum caught me examining the dreamcatcherI and immediately came over to me and told me the origins of the art that I was holding.   I was skeptical when the curator explained the power of the dreamcatcher.

“This dreamcatcher was designed by a powerful shaman from the pequot tribe.  Whoever chooses to use it will not only be protected from bad dreams and nightmares, but will be deemed the dream master for all who use it.  But it can only be used for five dreams before it loses its potency.”

That evening I went home and placed the dreamcatcher between the wooden posts of my canopy bed, not expecting to have any dreams at all.

The first dream came to me a few nights later.  In my dream a pequot shaman approached me.  

“Share with me your most fervent dream, and I will assure you that it will become true, for I am the dream master and if your thoughts are pure, they will become true.”

I saw myself in a white flowing satin gown adorned with lace and pearls.  The train of the gown was endless and I needed five bridesmaids to keep from tripping.  I wore a crown on my head, but no veil so that all could see the glow in my cheeks.  My groom was positioned in the front of the room, awaiting my arrival.  He wore a white tuxedo, had golden brown hair and the most alluring brown eyes that I had ever seen.  And our love was pure as the whiteness of our dress.

Before I was able to open my eyes the shaman was by my side and nodded.  

“Your dream was pure and you will see your dream come true. You will become the dream master and are given the power to grant them or deny them at your will.  But I warn you to choose wisely, for not every dream is meant to be deemed worthy.

The dream came true a few short years later when I met my husband Jerry on a blind date in college.  The dream played out exactly as it had happened in my dream from the satin white wedding gown to the golden brown hair and brown eyes of my new husband,

When we bought our wedding bed, I placed the dream catcher between the bed posts and I would be the dream master for both Jerry and I.

The second dream reached me two short years later on a cold winter night in February...February 14th to be exact.  I had learned earlier that day, that I was going to be a mother.

I so wanted to give birth to a daughter...adorning her with beautiful dresses, and putting her golden brown curls into pigtails   But my dream showed me a little boy who would be as tall aa his father, and as intelligent as his mother.  So the dream master chose the boy to be born first and the daughter to be born later.

And the second dream was granted.

The third dream came storming in when our lives had favorably settled and we had everything we wanted.

This dream seemed more like a nightmare when Jerry was diagnosed with blood cancer and the doctors tried every treatment known to man; from stem cell transplant to clinical drug trials.  I wanted Jerry to be healed.  I wanted him to live on for thirty or forty years more.

That is when I remembered the words of the dream master when he warned me that not all dreams would end in the way I imagined and I got to keep Jerry with me for ten more years.  That is what the dream master deemed was a favorable compromise.

I took the dream catcher off the wall; no longer trusting in its healing dreams and thought no more about it until I reached eighty years old.  Inside I knew it was time seek a new dream to live by and so I placed the dream catcher under my white satin pillow on my single bed.  

The dream came to me before I realized and the dreamcatcher showed me the sun peeking through the large window frames of Sunny Gardens; men and women congregating in a courtyard, and dinner tables set with fine silver and china,  I recognize this place as my final dwelling place and know that I have made the correct decision.

When I look down and see the small pink envelope with trimming in my hands, I know that my fifth dream will be coming to me soon.  It is the last time that the dreamcatcher will make a dream become a reality.

I must now pass the dreamcatcher to its next owner.  Who is it that will be worthy to receive its power?  I don’t know the answer….only time will tell.