Last night I had this super weird dream about my dad, who passed away five years ago. Woke up feeling all jumbled and emotional, so I decided to dig into what it might mean. Grabbed my coffee and laptop right there in bed.
Step 1: Writing Down Every Detail
First thing I did was open my notes app and brain-dumped everything while still fresh. Even tiny stuff like Dad wore his old fishing hat and smelled like motor oil – exactly how he smelled when tinkering in the garage. Couldn’t remember the whole storyline but wrote key moments: him laughing at our leaky kitchen sink (that dude HATED plumbing), then suddenly looking serious while pointing at my childhood treehouse.
Step 2: Connecting Real-Life Stuff
Next I asked myself what’s happening in my life now. Well hell yeah – been stressing about home repairs all week! Then realized our oak tree (the one with the treehouse) got damaged in last month’s storm. Had totally avoided dealing with it cause… memories. Also noticed I’ve been binge-watching old home videos lately. Lightbulb moment! Dreams piggyback on daily thoughts.
Step 3: The Symbol Hunt
Started playing dream detective with symbols:
- The Fishing Hat: Used to mean relaxation but now? Maybe I need breaks from adulting stress
- Leaky Sink: Obvious! Real-life plumbing headaches
- Treehouse Pointing: That decaying tree represents unfinished family business
Step 4: Emotional Inventory
This part got me. Focused on feelings in the dream: first warm nostalgia when laughing together, then stomach-drop dread when he pointed at the tree. Real talk? Still avoiding grief work five years later. That pointing gesture felt like unfinished business.
Putting It All Together
Here’s my raw interpretation: The plumbing stuff reflects current house headaches, but the treehouse is bigger. Dad showing up was my subconscious shouting: “Hey dummy! You’re avoiding both home repairs AND emotional work.” Clearest message? Time to fix that damn tree.
Final thoughts? Dreams hit like abstract puzzle art – makes zero sense until you hold pieces sideways. Felt better just doing this exercise though. Still miss him like crazy, but weirdly feel like I just had coffee with the old man.