I'm a great sleeper. I never have dreams or if I do, I don't remember them. I'm love going to bed; I love being in bed and my dream job would involve never getting out of bed. I sleep under two quilts and with two hot water bottles. I treat the bottles like lovers: moving them around the bed to warm up my side of the bed and then shoving them aside to enjoy their warm spots. And like all lovers I abuse them: filling them with water too hot from the kettle. I paid for my abuse three nights ago when one of them sprung a leak. I felt a vague sense of dampness around my feet but assumed I was imagining it and just nudged the bottle further down the bed. Some minutes later there was no imagining it: the bed was definitely wet. I responded by recoiling my feet from the damp patch hoping the problem would go away. The bottle continued to leak and, as the damp patch spread, I continued to edge away. My bed however, is only so big and I soon ran out of places to hide. I had no choice but to get out of the bed and deal with the problem. I put two bath towels over the damp patch and snuggled back in. Then the alarm went off: time to get up for work.
Then the following night, I dreamt that my husband told me he had met someone new, Henrietta is her name, and he wanted to marry her. I shrugged and said, "That's grand, work away." He replied smiling, with one arm around Henrietta, "You don't understand, I want a divorce." The shock woke me up and I was immediately overcome by feelings of loss and sorrow which I stayed with me for the morning.
Are these two disturbed nights a metaphor for my life? Is this part of menopause? When my husband woke up I asked him did he know anyone called Henrietta. He looked surprised and said no. I told him about my dream and he assured me sleepily, as he dragged himself to the bathroom, that he was not looking to end the marriage anytime soon.
Later that day at work - during my lunch break of course - I googled dream interpretations. Aside from the most obvious possible meaning - getting out of a bad relationship - one website, the Dream Dictionary suggested it was a sign 'to break bad habits and to shed old ways.'
What old ways? This well is dry. I've done so much soul searching and read so many self help books these last twenty years I don't have any habits left to break. I meditate every morning, do yoga and pilates twice a week and I'm almost vegetarian. I gave up Facebook for Lent so that I could clear my mind of distraction and so increase my attention span. I am so boring to be around I can't stand my own company.
Then the following night, I dreamt that my husband told me he had met someone new, Henrietta is her name, and he wanted to marry her. I shrugged and said, "That's grand, work away." He replied smiling, with one arm around Henrietta, "You don't understand, I want a divorce." The shock woke me up and I was immediately overcome by feelings of loss and sorrow which I stayed with me for the morning.
Are these two disturbed nights a metaphor for my life? Is this part of menopause? When my husband woke up I asked him did he know anyone called Henrietta. He looked surprised and said no. I told him about my dream and he assured me sleepily, as he dragged himself to the bathroom, that he was not looking to end the marriage anytime soon.
Later that day at work - during my lunch break of course - I googled dream interpretations. Aside from the most obvious possible meaning - getting out of a bad relationship - one website, the Dream Dictionary suggested it was a sign 'to break bad habits and to shed old ways.'
What old ways? This well is dry. I've done so much soul searching and read so many self help books these last twenty years I don't have any habits left to break. I meditate every morning, do yoga and pilates twice a week and I'm almost vegetarian. I gave up Facebook for Lent so that I could clear my mind of distraction and so increase my attention span. I am so boring to be around I can't stand my own company.
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