I have a box of things that are important to me. It’s not something I can physically move from place to place but I take it with me wherever I go. I call it my box of cherished things.

One thing I cherished, though you won’t find it in the box, is my home. It’s a different kind of attachment.  I love the space – the location.  I especially enjoy the views from the windows.

But not long ago – in the middle of the night – I realized we had to move.  The new place was only a fraction of the size of my home – but some things must be done so we got on it right away. Two guys appeared out of nowhere and began moving things.  One of them I recognized, the other I did not.  They made great progress getting everything out of the home quickly.  Problem was – we had way too much stuff to cram inside a small apartment and there were these two over-sized stuff animals that belonged to my daughter – a giraffe and a lion.  They were so tall you could practically walk in between their legs without touching their bodies.  I told the movers to get rid of the lion to help save space – and they did.  During the move my daughter showed up – like the two movers – out of nowhere.  I broke the news that we had to throw away the lion but from the sound of her voice I could tell she was not happy about it.  The last thing I wanted to do was upset her so I immediately looked at one of the movers and he read my mind – the lion reappeared!

As we moved into the apartment I noticed some things were down right filthy.  I told my daughter to be careful because things needed to be cleaned.  She said something and then began wiping down a table.  There were other problems too – no bulbs in the light fixtures – one toilet was nasty and there were no curtains.  In fact – there was only one view from one window.  It was in my daughter’s room – and looking through it put me practically inside the apartment next door.  I think two ladies were living in that unit and one of them told me we would like it there.

So many things – or should I say – thoughts – happened in this brief moment of time.  Like dreams do – they go through your mind in an instant.  Some of my dreams I remember – some I don’t – but I’m glad I remembered this one.  It provided one of those rare visits from my daughter.  She’s been gone for five years and in the first few visits I only saw her smiling face.  But now in my dreams I also hear her voice.

These dreams are just that – dreams – I don’t analyze them.  I just enjoy them for what they are. They don’t happen often – so it’s gonna be a while before she returns.  So for now I’m tucking this one away in my box of cherished things.