by

MARY JO GORTON

    I had a dream last night. To dream is nothing new to me, but this dream was so vivid that now, hours later I remember the details clearly. The dream has left me with a feeling of peace and well being. I need to share my dream, to let others experience this wonderful feeling.

    The dream began with me standing in a field of knee high emerald green grass. Violet colored flowers speckled the lush field as they swayed in the gentle breeze. Their sweet fragrance mingled with the earthy smell of the grass and the dark brown earth beneath. The smell itself gave me a glorious feeling of contentment and well being. The warmth of the golden sun, as it began to set in the cloudless peach colored sky, seemed to caress my head and shoulders.

    I could hear the faint chirping and cooing of birds somewhere off to my left as they got ready for the approaching night. Looking towards the musical sound, I noticed a large oak tree in the otherwise empty field. The tree was massive its mahogany colored trunk knotted and twisted with age. The slender lime-green and yellowish gold colored leaves shook ever so slightly with the movement of the small birds.

    As I started moving slowly towards the tree, the birds took flight. These beautiful birds were the color of fresh snow the purest white I had ever seen. I realized they were doves, the birds that represented love and peace. I stopped and looked up into the sky as they slowly circled over my head. Then the doves flew back to the tree and came to rest in the branches once again. Instinctively, they knew I wished them no harm. The musical sound of the doves filled the air as they moved around the branches of the large oak tree. Giving a slight sigh, I smiled with happiness. I stood in the field as the stars started to blanket the ebony sky, until I could no longer see the large oak tree.

    When I woke from my dream, I felt an inner peace that was like a warm blanket of love engulfing me. I laid in bed for a long time hardly moving afraid that the feeling would leave me. Knowing that I could not lay in bed all day, I got up and started my everyday tasks. All during the day the dream would come back to me. I realized as the day came to a close that this wonderful feeling was still with me and would be for along time.