The death of my father spurned a string of dreams/appearances from my dad for my entire immediate family. Most of us have had them--short little snippets of him that have been so unique that we are certain they were visits. And this sounds just like something my dad would do in the afterlife.
I've had two. The first one happened while I was still in St. Louis and it was really simple: Dad was there and he hugged me. That was it. My second was a little bit longer. He was there again, smiling. I realized immediately that it was my chance to talk to him and said, "Dad, wait, I've got to know, are you happy?" I was trying to get out the words so hard that I was mumbling in my sleep, so Eric woke me up (so used to rescuing me from nightmares by waking me). I didn't get to hear his reply. Both of them happened right around 5:30 a.m.
This morning, inbetween the wakefulness of early-morning baby feedings and getting Bianca ready for school, I had another dream with dad in it. A tree in our yard fell down and for some reason, we lugged it into the house and put a sheet over it. I noticed the sheet was moving. Two woodchucks came hurtling out, along with some squirrels. Dad and I were chasing them around the house, catching them, and putting them outside. After clearing the house of woodland creatures, I realized I had dad right there again and tried to ask again. My mom appeared out of nowhere and so did someone else, but I can't remember who it was. "Dad, is there an afterlife?"
He shook his head and said, "I don't know."
To which I replied, "But you died. You must know. Is there an afterlife?" I saw a tear in his eye and he looked uncertain and shook his head, I guess so.
I told Eric about my strange dream when I awoke this morning. He then looked very grave and said, "This poses a very interesting question." I was waiting to hear what he'd say about it. Surely something philosophical. Maybe that there wasn't an afterlife or that you don't even realize you're in it. But then he said, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
Yeah, so maybe I've been trying to find meaning or answers when there are none. Maybe sometimes a dream is just a crazy, wild squirrel-chasing dream.
