Visits in the Night
My deceased dad has a habit of visiting various relatives via dreams from time to time. He's been gone since 1999, but I have to say he stays in touch regularly. At least once every few months or so.
Most frequently he likes to visit my mom (his EX-wife) and my auntie (his sister). Sometimes he shows up in my brothers' dreams, but rarely does he bother me..and when he does he's not talking directly to me.
My mom dreamt of him last week and it freaked her out because he was trying to get her to stay with him. Last week my mom was sick as a dog and was probably delirious from fever, antibiotics, and pain killers...so I'm not surprised that dad decided to show up to chat. Apparently in the dream initially mom agreed to stay with him a while, but then she changed her mind and said she had to go because she missed B. (my stepdad). Then she says she yelled out my stepdad's name and suddenly woke up.
(Sidenote: My great-grandmother received a similar nocternal visit from my grandfather (her son) the night he passed away. She was ill too, therefore no one had broken the news to her yet. In her dream, my grandfather asked her to stay with him. When she woke up the next day, she told my great-grandfather that she wanted to be with her son. She passed away that evening.)
My aunt says my dad talks to her all the time in her dreams, but she tells him to leave her alone and go back to where he came from because no one told him to leave in the first place. My aunt is pretty blunt and really hasn't the time nor the inclination to indulge pesky spirits. At any rate, it seems as though just like when was alive he still likes to tease her, and for all her attempts to rebuke him, he still keeps coming back.
After my mom told me about her dream last week, I remarked to her that dad doesn't visit me and when he does he never directly talks to me.
Now having said that, I'm sure dear reader you can guess where this is going...
Dad called me on the phone last night.
In a dream, the phone rang and I picked it up and it was my dad. He was telling me that he was fine and that everything was okay. In the dream, I was so shocked and excited, I tried to give the phone to my mom so that she could listen. Although it was my dad's voice, it sounded like a recorded message and when I attempted to let mom listen, the line became disconnected. In my dream, I tried to *69 him back (I know, it sounds so ridiculously logical and insane at the same time, but how else do you get a dead person who just called you back on the phone?) When the phone rang, I got a recorded message saying that if I received a phone call, it was a hoax and the recording apologized for the inconvenience.
Trippy.
So I'm thinking, does my dad think that I am worried about him, because really I'm not. I'm sure wherever he is, he is perfectly fine and I will see him when I see him. I undoubtedly miss him, and definitely could have used him in my life these past 7 years, but I believe his spirit still lives on and I don't worry about him. Likewise, I'm in no real hurry to see him until it's time for me to see him, if you know what I mean.
In the African American tradition, the spiritual world and the physical world are very closely related. Things that seem mystical and impossible are sometimes very real. As such, it is not uncommon for us to call upon our ancestors in times of need. A grandmother for comfort. An uncle for guidance. Oh Father, what should I do?
So it's a little puzzling to me that dad doesn't visit me more often considering how close we were when he was alive. At times I think it's perhaps that he doesn't want to frighten me. Maybe he thinks that I wouldn't understand. Truth is, I'm not sure that I would.
Whatever the case may be, I was glad to hear from him last night. I miss him. And I wouldn't mind an occassional visit in my dreams from time to time.
So long as he doesn't overstay his welcome...and doesn't try to convince me to stay with him.
Most frequently he likes to visit my mom (his EX-wife) and my auntie (his sister). Sometimes he shows up in my brothers' dreams, but rarely does he bother me..and when he does he's not talking directly to me.
My mom dreamt of him last week and it freaked her out because he was trying to get her to stay with him. Last week my mom was sick as a dog and was probably delirious from fever, antibiotics, and pain killers...so I'm not surprised that dad decided to show up to chat. Apparently in the dream initially mom agreed to stay with him a while, but then she changed her mind and said she had to go because she missed B. (my stepdad). Then she says she yelled out my stepdad's name and suddenly woke up.
(Sidenote: My great-grandmother received a similar nocternal visit from my grandfather (her son) the night he passed away. She was ill too, therefore no one had broken the news to her yet. In her dream, my grandfather asked her to stay with him. When she woke up the next day, she told my great-grandfather that she wanted to be with her son. She passed away that evening.)
My aunt says my dad talks to her all the time in her dreams, but she tells him to leave her alone and go back to where he came from because no one told him to leave in the first place. My aunt is pretty blunt and really hasn't the time nor the inclination to indulge pesky spirits. At any rate, it seems as though just like when was alive he still likes to tease her, and for all her attempts to rebuke him, he still keeps coming back.
After my mom told me about her dream last week, I remarked to her that dad doesn't visit me and when he does he never directly talks to me.
Now having said that, I'm sure dear reader you can guess where this is going...
Dad called me on the phone last night.
In a dream, the phone rang and I picked it up and it was my dad. He was telling me that he was fine and that everything was okay. In the dream, I was so shocked and excited, I tried to give the phone to my mom so that she could listen. Although it was my dad's voice, it sounded like a recorded message and when I attempted to let mom listen, the line became disconnected. In my dream, I tried to *69 him back (I know, it sounds so ridiculously logical and insane at the same time, but how else do you get a dead person who just called you back on the phone?) When the phone rang, I got a recorded message saying that if I received a phone call, it was a hoax and the recording apologized for the inconvenience.
Trippy.
So I'm thinking, does my dad think that I am worried about him, because really I'm not. I'm sure wherever he is, he is perfectly fine and I will see him when I see him. I undoubtedly miss him, and definitely could have used him in my life these past 7 years, but I believe his spirit still lives on and I don't worry about him. Likewise, I'm in no real hurry to see him until it's time for me to see him, if you know what I mean.
In the African American tradition, the spiritual world and the physical world are very closely related. Things that seem mystical and impossible are sometimes very real. As such, it is not uncommon for us to call upon our ancestors in times of need. A grandmother for comfort. An uncle for guidance. Oh Father, what should I do?
So it's a little puzzling to me that dad doesn't visit me more often considering how close we were when he was alive. At times I think it's perhaps that he doesn't want to frighten me. Maybe he thinks that I wouldn't understand. Truth is, I'm not sure that I would.
Whatever the case may be, I was glad to hear from him last night. I miss him. And I wouldn't mind an occassional visit in my dreams from time to time.
So long as he doesn't overstay his welcome...and doesn't try to convince me to stay with him.