A Summer Dream or Was It...

Hillary had had a terrible week her latest exacerbation had left her tired and getting very little sleep. On this morning just before dawn she decided to get up and go into the computer room and email her good friend Jeannie. They had met Online became close friends and just basically shared their lives with one another and yes both had MS. But that was not the focus of their relationship. They sent cards, spoke on the phone, gave each other little gifts and shared pictures.

In good times and bad they were there for each other but had never actually had the chance to meet in real life. It sure looked liked it would never happen either. So emails would have to do.

Hillary wrote her friend and then decided it was just to down to send, so she deleted it and went off-line. The first rays of a beautiful summer dawn were peeking through the window. Hillary got up and went over to the lounge chair by the window and just got comfortable and started to really gaze at the multi layers of color of the morning sky. Before she knew it she started to feel sleepy.

The next thing she knew she was dressed and standing in a beautiful garden. Confused she looked around and saw what looked like the gardener. Hillary went over to him and asked where was she? He told her she was granted a special day and to go and wait by the bench and it would all unfold to her.

She did this and took in the flowers, the water fountain and could see that through the arched entrance lay a magnificent lake. Before long Hillary heard footsteps coming up the path and turned to see who it was.

She was stunned, it was Jeannie! They ran to each other and hugged and looked into one another’s faces. This was a dream come true :) They went over near the fountain and sat and talked.  In a while the Gardner came back and told them to go out and enjoy this lovely place and have a special day. He handed them a picnic basket and said they have till late afternoon for their visit.

So off Hillary and Jeannie went both sharing the handles of the picnic basket. The path to the lake was filled with flowers on either side and wide-open meadows. At one point both of them picked a flower and put it their hair. When they got to the shores of the lake they meandered around until they found a pretty place to sit and take it all in. They sat for hours and talked and then ate what was in the picnic basket and it was all their favorite things too. In awhile they walked out onto a wonderful pier and watched people in rowboats, people swimming, small kids and dogs playing near by. It was very peaceful.

The day was growing late and they remarked to each other how good they had felt ALL day, no MS symptoms had bothered them at all. Just two good friends enjoying each other’s company and their surroundings. They turned to leave and gave each other a hug……..

All of a sudden Hillary was awake and realized she had slept all day and what a fabulous dream! Her husband came in and told her she was sleeping so peacefully that he didn’t disturb her all day and had been out fishing. When she got up she realized how really good she felt and the exacerbation was over.

Hillary walked over to the computer and was going to email Jeannie about her dream. She happened to put her hand in her pocket and took out a slightly wilted flower just like the one she had had in her hair in the dream. BUT that wasn’t possible.

She turned on the computer, went into her email and there was a gorgeous picture of her and Jeannie TOGETHER sitting by THAT lake! Startled she thought, a summer dream or was it……………………….?

Based on a somewhat true incident, we still have our dreams even with MS.

By Holly