rough dream

I thought after a long intense week at a conference with my youngest having a nap, I’d take the opportunity to have a little snooze. I managed to find myself paying a little attention to my four year old running around the house doing who knows what. After a few minutes there was silence. Normally this means he’s happily sleeping (he likes to do what Dad does… but on his own terms. When asked it’s always "NO ME BED"). Just before I fell asleep, I managed to hear the soft pitter-patter of rain on the walkways and thought to myself, "now I will never get a chance to mow the lawn."

I was browsing the sporting goods store with my Father in another room looking for a nice aluminum frame bike for my oldest daughter. While wandering to a back room filled with random sports gear, skis leaned against the wall, the familiar smell of "rubber" in these types of places lingered everywhere, I noticed I was in the room with a few other people. A young couple sat on a backless bench flirting with each other and laughing mildly over something. A few stragglers like myself were walking in and out, looking for nothing in particular.

I decided to sit down on the stairs going up to somewhere take on a pastime of mine: people watching. Within a few seconds of watching this couple, all of the sudden something whacked me on the head. There was know way to know what actually hit me. Breathing was extremely difficult and the whole world was black. I could tell something hit me from above or behind and then stood over me. As I tried to lift my torso up with my arms, in complete darkness, all I felt was a throbbing in the head and inability to breath. My thoughts were not so clear at this time but I recall someone standing over me pounding my head over and over but no blood. I wondered "..no confession."

I woke up with a start, face first into my pillow. After glancing at the clock which read 2:30PM, I thought to myself: "where are my kids?" With a bit of resolve I attempted to empty my trauma and make my way over to my daughter’s room to find her asleep on her tummy in her pink sleeper, arm strewn out of the crib with a smattering of toys around her. I made my way back to my son’s room to find him peacefully lying on his bed, arm tucked around his "duna’ and Ducky gently in his grasp.

It’s 2:55PM now and I hear my daughter throwing her precious toys out the crib, a typical indication she’s ready to get up. My son, that will be another story trying to get him up. I need to pray more.