I had a dream of my father the other night which gave me a rush of emotions. In the dream, I saw him standing off in the distance holding a leash with a Sheltie beside him. This was touching since his dogs were a great source of pleasure in his life. He was in front of a building reminiscent of those on a college campus. Perhaps this was symbolic because he was a well-educated man and a talented musician. He received his high school diploma by mail correspondence because he left home at 16 to pursue a musical career playing cello for the Birmingham, Alabama orchestra. He married my mother at the age of 21 and was busy raising my brother and me before going back to college. He got a full scholarship to study music at the University of Miami. He graduated with honors and earned a master’s degree in music which qualified him to begin his teaching career. He taught music in public schools in the Charlotte, North Carolina area for 28 years.
In the dream, I approached my dad and he hugged me. How comforting to be held again by my father even if in a dream. I told him that I was doing my best to look after my mother. She lives nearby now since we moved her into a condominium in our town. It took three years to get her here. My father passed away one week after Father’s Day nearly five years ago. After my father died, we began the arduous task of going through things at their house, throwing things out, selling unnecessary items by consignment or doling things out to the grandchildren if they showed interest in family mementos.
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