I rarely remember my dreams. This one I recall. Dreams contain part of reality mixed with, well, dreaming! This dream is something I would like for my birthday. Birthdays are the one day a year where if you are selfish, it is okay. To an extent, selfishness is almost encouraged.
Perhaps it is the gray days combined with the cold which led me to this location. I dreamt my family & friends were at a waterpark resort, complete with a hot tub. It was just people I knew; no strangers to intrude upon my special day.
As I walked through the resort, I was astounded by all the people I knew. Twenty-eight years into this life, I have never had a surprise birthday party. Because we are headed to Lexington the following day, I highly doubt 2020 will be my first one.
Seeing my family & friends brought joy to my heart & a large smile to my face. As a kid, I was raised to acknowledge everyone at family gatherings. So, I walked around, told everyone hello, & thanked them all for coming. Although some of my family lives nearby, nearly all my friends live farther away. As for my extended family, while they live two hours away, I rarely see them from Labor Day-Memorial Day. As we have grown older, we do not see each other as often.
Our lack of seeing each other likely served as the reason why none of their children were present at the resort. I am not a father, not the fondest of little kids, & my interactions with the little ones have been sparse. Now when I travel to see those family members on the lake, the kids are at the forefront… & there’s a lot of ‘em.
What struck me at the resort was that everyone got along. No worries about money, health, jobs, our country, etc., nor any in-fighting amongst people. As a Catholic, I am taught to treat everyone equally, but when someone close to me hurts me, it is hard to put those feelings aside. Even if I love you, I know fully well nobody is perfect.
Despite my challenges in life, I continue to love good food. Deep dish pizza, a delicious burger, a tasty pasta dish, & a scrumptious hot dog are just a few of those items. Whenever you stay at a resort, there’s typically good food. We all enjoyed the food, bringing us together for an event, & the dessert was as delectable as the chocolate chip cookies at Michigan International Speedway.
Whenever you enjoy a good hot shower or step into a hot tub, there is a sense of relaxation. Your body calms down, feeling at peace. I remember joining others in the hot tub, us all enjoying the hot water soothing our cold bodies. My birthday is in February. I have never worn shorts on my birthday. A hot tub sounds good right about now.
‘Course, Maizey & Blu are there, enjoying the pets, running around excited by all the people. To think, I am famous for saying, “I hate those dogs!”
I am an Eagle Scout, & I jokingly occasionally tell people that Eagle Scouts are pyromaniacs. Our fireplace brings us no heat; actually, it cools the upstairs in our house. In winter, a warn fire is portrayed as a typical nightly occasion in movies, TV shows, etc. Yet I usually burn stuff in the spring-fall.
But a dream mixes reality with our desires with oddities. So, as we all conclude our time together at the resort, we gather round the fireplace. We talk, laugh, enjoy each other’s company. Naturally, this group of people would only come together in my dreams. Like the gathering of folks to watch the college football national championship game, this group gets along just fine.
We all slowly walk back to our rooms, tired from our awesome day together. I prefer not to use the word ‘awesome’ because society overuses it. This day though was awesome.
We say good night, likely seeing each other in the morning for breakfast as we will depart & go our separate ways. These resort rooms are quite cozy. The bed is comfortable & there’s pillows aplenty. I go through my nightly rituals & climb into bed. As I drift asleep, my smile reluctantly fades away. When I wake up, it will be all over. My dream, my birthday, & this event. What will I dream tonight?
