Friday, July 2, 2010

Picking Up The Pieces

Dear Peregrin,

One beautiful sunny afternoon I spontaneously volunteered to help out at a restaurant. A group of 5 people came in insisting to sit a particular table that was set for 8 people. My mother-in-law was to wait on them and I was to observe how it was done.

Being at such a large table I had difficulty hearing and I had to walk around the table whenever anyone spoke to me. The people were very nice but somewhat passive aggressive as I think on it now. They demanded a lot of attention with a variety of questions. One woman in particular seemed to be the leader of the group - early 50's, gregarious, shoulder length brown curly hair with 2 ears on the left side of her head.

In a relatively short time the restaurant had filled up and my mother-in-law excused herself leaving me with this group. I had to go to the kitchen often in order to get the answers to her various questions on fish and wine. At one point while in the kitchen I discovered her to be standing beside me as if that's where she belonged. I commented on the pretty young lady that was in her party and inquired as to whether she was ready to order yet. The lady made the comment that she wasn't so young and I said to me - she felt to be about 18 years old. The Lady said "Oh, So you're a feeler then, well I've always felt her to be 80 years old" and I accepted what she was saying as quite natural. She walked away and when I went back to the table to finish getting their orders, they had all left.

Under a glass was a small note saying that this had been a test and if I had any questions to call 342-0435. At that point I was close to tears and started cleaning off the table. It was nighttime now and the room was full of shadows making it difficult to see clearly.

A rock glass slipped from my left hand and my son suddenly appeared on his knees picking up the glass and before I could stop him he had cut his fingers and then he was gone. I retrieved a broom and dustpan to sweep it up but the little chunks stuck to the floor and so I knelt down and patiently picked up one piece at a time, carefully putting them in the dustpan - crying all the while because I felt like such a failure. That's when I woke up feeling very dejected and hurt and crying.

Catherine



Good morning, Catherine.

You may be feeling a lot of stress lately, either on the job or privately. The involvement of your son, and the lack of help from your mother-in-law, suggest that the situation is closer to home.

The phrase "picking up the pieces" often refers to the pieces of one's life, which could indicate that the dream represents a personal crisis, perhaps an abandonment (everyone at the table left).

You have been told that your feelings are wrong, but consider that the basis for this judgement is someone else's feelings -- yours should be every bit as valid.

I would be interested in knowing if you ever called the number on the note.

Pleasant dreams,

Peregrin

2 comments:

  1. Dear Peregrin:
    That you for the insightful comments with regards to my dream. The various points that you brought up were very helpful. I had that dream quite a while ago, a month before I wrote. Oddly enough in the past two weeks I have removed myself from the religious group that I have been affiliated with for 28 years. As a cast out I am now ostracized by the members as well as my parents-in-law who I have loved for just as many years. I dealing with a very broken heart right - I didn't realize at the time of my dream just how much of it did in fact reflect the future. My son continues to attend bible meetings with his father and there is some question as to what role I am allowed to play in his spiritual growth. I feel I have a lot to offer as my relationship with my higher power is growing.
    Yes, I did phone that number in my dream. It's the County Board of Education in this area. Odd isn't it? For the first time in my life I have considered myself as having a future and even at 41 years of age, I strongly desire a greater education.
    Thank you again for your words of encouragement with regards to the validity of my own feelings within the dream.
    Sincerely,
    Catherine

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  2. Good morning, Catherine,
    I don't find anything odd in the things that you told me. The feelings of humiliation and failure in the dream had to come from somewhere. I think that, even weeks before leaving the group you were in, you were aware, at some level, of the imminent departure.
    I was glad to hear that you did call the number, and correctly interpreted the message. Most of the time, phone numbers revealed to us in a dream are not actual numbers, but contain another message that we must puzzle out. Your feelings were strong enough that you needed a clear, no-nonsense message...and got it.
    Your dream also seems to confirm that your son needs your influence, now more than ever. If you allow him to "pick up the pieces" all on his own, then he may, indeed, "disappear" from your life. You should endeavor to remain a positive role model for him. Don't let your breakup with his father become his responsibility in any way, be strong and pick up the pieces yourself.
    Blessings to you during your struggles.
    Peregrin

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