night before. I couldn’t quite remember why. I didn’t think too much about it
until the flashbacks began pouring in mid-afternoon, and piece by piece the
puzzle came together in my mind. Before I knew it, I was driving down Southwest
Parkway with tears streaming down my cheeks. It wasn’t a random dream at all.
In my opinion it was an important reassurance sent to me in my sleep.
In the dream, my older sister Mallory and I were together when we
received an unexpected visit from our dad. All I remember was being so excited
to see him. I don’t remember what we did or what we talked about, but he made it
clear that he was there because he “knew we were going through a hard time and
that we needed him”. He knew we were struggling with something,
and he needed to reassure us that everything would be okay. Mallory had all
kinds of plans and she really wanted him to stay with us, but it seemed like
just as quickly and suddenly as he arrived he had to leave us. I remember
hugging him goodbye, as I would before leaving for a trip. But what really
stands out in my mind was the reflex I had after letting go—I instantaneously
reached back towards him with urgency and embraced him tightly this time.
Even in my dream I was able to remind myself that I probably wouldn’t get
to hug him again for a long time. One hug wouldn’t last… I needed two hugs
from heaven.