Hot Dogs and Birdie Kisses
We pay attention when our four-year-old mentions details about his dreams.
This is, in part, because when he was three, he described a recurring figure—“smiley face”—that would crash any dream he was in and scare the crap out of him. Very odd, almost horrific, to hear him describe how “smiley face came in through the window” or “smiley face was under the bed.” It seemed he could have a dream about chocolate chip cookies on a mild summer day, and smiley face would crash the scene and wake him up.
My wife and I had some luck in treating smiley face through prayer. Everett would pray that God sends a knight or some other sword-wielding hero into his dream to keep him safe. It worked for a week, and we felt like the characters must have felt in the movie Inception when they design the architecture of different dream sequences. We went overboard, no doubt, when we asked him to dream of eating a new fruit with dinner. He’s still bananas or bust.
I only write this to prove to you that when Everett mentions dreams, they are meaningful. It’s not often he can remember them when asked. He rarely volunteers any information either. And if he does, it’s usually not coherent, and it begins to resemble a montage of recently-viewed movie scenes.
“It started on a pirate ship, and then and then, the Bergens came for the Trolls and CRASH ate everybody up, but the Big Friendly Giant got the queen to send a huge army, and King Arthur battled them.”
Anything is better than smiley face—whatever that was creeped us out, in a clown from Stephen King’s It type of way.
So when Everett began a morning conversation with, “Geeba was in my dream last night,” we were sure to take notice.
Geeba is Miranda’s grandmother who passed away a month ago Tuesday. Everett joined us for the funeral and family get-togethers that celebrated her life. I’ve never heard Everett describe a person in his dream. It’s always movie characters, or twisted clown-like figures. He had us hooked. We sipped our coffees. Miranda asked him what happened.
“She fed me a hot dog,” he said. “And gave me birdie kisses.”
Miranda got the chills—those chills with goose bumps and raised arm hair. He didn’t mention anything else about the dream. Peter Pan didn’t crash the scene with the Lost Boys. It was just Everett and his Geeba—a hot dog and birdie kisses.
I understand there are two types of ways to analyze a dream in modern psychology.
The Freudian analysis looks backward. Dreams act in a retrospective way. They reveal repressed desires and guilty consciences. The Jungian analysis (which I prefer—far less anxiety) says dreams look forward. They are prospective. The dream, interpreted correctly, is a telling of the future, of what is to come.
Then there’s my four year old, eating a hot dog with his great-grandmother, whose spirit left her body some three weeks ago.
File that one under awesome.
You should know that hot dogs and birdie kisses summarize the spirit of his Geeba.
The true matriarch of my wife’s family, her main concern, other than the family staying close whatever differences arise, was everybody’s comfort. I’ve never left her house without stomach pains from over-eating. She made sure every get together was a feast. And every feast, an outpour of affection—hence the birdie kisses.
My point is that this dream was not about Everett’s imagination. If it were, Geeba would have flown in wearing Superman’s cape. No. This dream was about the spirit of Geeba, visiting with Everett while he slept.
I’ve never been more certain that death is just an entrance into a new life. A new life that’s here and now, with us in our dreams and revelations. If you felt that tingle while reading this post, consider it a preview.
You may have reason to doubt the invisible movements of the soul in this high-tech, we’ve-got-it-all-proved, see-it-to-believe-it world, but that was Everett’s Geeba—alive and well—with him that night.
His dream was likely longer. Maybe she was the one who picked up a sword and slew smiley face forever. She always did want to protect, comfort, and, above all, love her family.
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This is very cool. And “out of the mouths of babes.” My mother in law died when she was 49; 32 years ago. Shortly after we got married, my wife was visited by her mom in a very vivid dream. It was real, without a doubt. We still talk about it, and that was a LONG time ago. It also gave her some needed peace and closure. You and Miranda and very attuned to your kids; it’s beautiful!
Thanks HD, appreciate that. You definitely can’t discount these things. Kids give us more truth than our newsfeeds, after all. Sorry to keep you, once again, waiting in moderation. AHHA! For some reason, the site likes to do that man. I swear, it’s not on purpose.
What a wonderful post. Really touched me. You write so beautifully about your family. Thanks for mentioning Pennywise though *shudder* ?
Mark, this is beautiful! It is a comfort to me – Everett was so lucky to have experienced a visit from Geeba.
I’m so glad! Thanks Aunt Kathy. The family is really supportive and when something like this happens, the least I can do is try to tell it as best I can. See you again soon!
All too quickly (and frequently) people discount the words of children. Blessings to you and your wife for ‘listening’. ??
Oh I love this. How beautiful for her to visit your little guy in his dreams, and how wonderful that he remembered it <3
So beautiful and I believe that spirit is always around us. Sometimes we are just too sidetracked with the demand of a hectic life that we might miss the signs. Very special for Everett to have had this experience he could not possibly have made up. Loved this…great read.
Thank you for reading and commenting! So special. Crazy how he doesn’t know how special it was. Probably what makes it so special I. The first place.
Very true and something special to hold on to as he gets older and can understand the impact of such.
I love reading about visits like this. I very much believe in them, and I have no problems in making that public knowledge. Spirits move through veils of dimensions, including out subconscious. I know that spirits make visits to my wife at times. I don’t get them very often – I am not sure if I do, or am I just dreaming? I think a dream and a visit are different for sure. I think when you get a visit, you KNOW.
Anyway, thanks for this. I look at your writing and see just how concise and clean and to the point you get, but still open up so much. I need to learn from this (my posts go on forever…ha!) – so you’ve given me the gift of a double dip – fantastic piece at spiritual level and one at writing level!
Thanks
Kind of you to say, Paul. I admire your wording of things, so the admiration and the learning from is mutual.
I’ve never had the visit. Although after things like this happen, I am open to it!
Beautiful post! I believe my mom visited me in a dream about a week after she died. It was a lovely dream, and she was so radiantly happy.
That’s powerful stuff! Very cool you can have the openness of a child to receive those sorts of things. Happy to connect! Thank you for visiting and commenting.
My father has come to me in my dreams several times.
The last one was in a drinking dream, where he was proud of me.
I was really surprised he showed up in that dream as he was addicted to alcohol too!
xo
Wendy
Wow. That’s a cool dream or visit to have. Must have been totally gratifying. Hanks Wendy!
Wow this is beautiful. I believe the openness of children allows for an easier a more fluid exchange of this type of energy and spiritual experiences. Thank you for sharing.
I was shocked! I’ve doubted this stuff before but witnessing it happen with my own children–I can no longer deny it! Thanks M.