A few years ago, my husband Dave gave me a dream catcher. It hangs above my headboard, just over my shoulder. Its purpose is to shield us from bad dreams, but does it actually work? Honestly, I’m not sure. What I do know is that no matter how strange or vivid my dreams are, I tend to forget most of them. I only remember the ones that feel important. There are certainly many dreams I’m glad to forget—perhaps a subconscious choice. Maybe my belief in that small, quirky object above my bed helps keep those troubling memories from surfacing in my mind.
Why would any of this matter to our present situation? Countless sleepless nights were spent lying awake, desperately trying to decode the message or uncover some hidden, intricate clue within it. I often wonder if I was truly sleeping or simply dreaming up elaborate ways to solve this puzzle in my mind. The most reasonable approach seemed to be to let go of these thoughts and move on without hesitation. But what does this really mean? How can we be certain of anything? We have a thought, then we reflect on the letter and consider how to respond. How many thoughts have we just had? It’s truly mind-boggling when we pause to consider this advice. Even now, as I write, I’m juggling dozens of thoughts. How often have we said, “I am one step ahead of you”? We all struggle to be fully present in each moment. We live in a society that makes this nearly impossible. I believe the only people capable of such focus are Tibetan monks, but in my view, that is not fully experiencing life. One must walk the well-worn path to truly appreciate the best part of the journey. I now see our current situation as the rough road on life’s journey, with a smooth path just ahead. It’s a metaphor, but this way of thinking is undeniably helpful.
We all have some character we portray ourselves to be in our dreams, often embodying roles that feel exciting or extraordinary. We might find ourselves flying through the sky with ease, racing high-speed Formula One cars, driving sleek supercars, or even transforming into powerful superheroes. Many dreams revolve around our childhood, people we have lost, or revisiting happy memories that seem long forgotten. When we manage to catch a dream or even dream that we are dreaming, it may be the only time we are truly present and fully aware of the moment. But are we genuinely present in those moments? We experience so many dreams during sleep that when we wake and try to recall them, can we say we are truly present then? This topic is far beyond my level of expertise, but the advice I can offer you now is simple: avoid reading those endless letters, emails, tweets, and so on. Focus on the positives and live by your own rules and let society take care of itself.