This one’s for Malissa. 🙂 Not medical, but I think you’ll appreciate it. 😉

Life in Dreams

Jessie rolled, pressed her shoulder into the pillow-top mattress she’d just purchased. It had promised a good night’s sleep — something she’d craved in the last few years. As her body moved into deep relaxation, the dream began.

Dressed in bright red high tops, leg warmers and ripped jeans, she stood amidst a crowd of thousands — or what seemed to be. Her body bounced and jarred against those around her. Arms and legs flailed as she jumped up and down to the rhythm. The band sang — “I love you. You love me. We’re a happy family.”

She stopped but the crowd continued.

Her head turned left then right, her body bumped and jolted while she stood. Confused, Jessie reverted her view to the stage where the band rocked, guitars blared, drums pounded and cymbals crashed. She could see all of it, and as she stared, the glorious sound of eighties music returned.

She’d waited for the concert for ages, had stood in line throughout the night for tickets. Jessie could remember the wait, the biting cold as she fought to keep her spot.

She leaned into her companion. “This is awesome!” Her yell didn’t even reach over the blast of the brass as she swung her hair up and down.

“What?” He yelled back toward her. Despite the close proximity, it was nearly impossible to hear anything but music.

She looked back at him with intention to repeat and stepped backward as the glorious face that once stood next to her became a big purple dinosaur.

Eyes closed tightly, she opened one then another. “Am I hallucinating?”

“What?” He yelled back at her as he continued to dance wildly.

With one hand, she waved back at him to ignore her question. Crowded by gyrating bodies, she opted to return to the band who’d never stopped performing. The crisp, night air cooled the heat of embarrassment.

Singing atop the stage, the band’s lead screamed into the microphone, “We’re a happy family! With a great big –”

Sounds morphed into each other — a blend of her favorite artist from long ago and one she’d heard more often than not in recent days. With a flutter, she began to awaken. She wanted the dream though. She wanted to relive the glory days.

Jessie rolled to her left, snuggled tighter into her pillow in the hopes of bringing it back when she realized her companion wasn’t in the dream. With just one eye, she peeked. The ear to ear grin, so sweet, genuine and natural was poised just inches from her own face, framed by ringlets of blonde curls.

“I play the dee vee dee for you mommy.” The emphasis on the type of disc she’d carefully inserted into the stereo brought a smile to her own face.

“No wonder I had such good dreams.”

As Barney’s famous song blared at the highest possible volume, she sang along with her daughter.