Girl in an oversized hammock.  Rocking to the rhythm of a gentle breeze.  The chimes at the back porch playing background music to her lazy day.  She had that sweet sleepy feeling that made her head a little dizzy and her eyelids heavy.  A contented smile crossed her face as she gladly succombed to drifting into dreamland…

She recognized this place she was slipping into.  The colors were vibrant but warm – reds and yellows. Oranges and browns.  All individually beautiful, but somehow all melding into one and inseparable.  The colors were the background of every storyline, giving added depth to everything that took place.  Their warmth touched all of the  thoughts and ideas that played in her mind.    She had been here many times before and never tired of the welcoming hues that drew her in.

In perfect harmony with the colors were the sounds.  Beautiful whispering voices and quiet singing.  Effortless soft melodies that played gently in her ear.  Telling stories, reading poems and sonnets.  Sweet, bubbling giggles spilling all around her.  The sounds of  joy.  Audible peace. 

And then there were the sensations of touch.  Soft, luxurious fabrics.  They were, of course,  in the beautiful warm colors that marked her dreams.  She would touch them to her face, eyes closed, and try to memorize their textures.  She would roll in them, immerse herself in their comforting fibers.  Her hands would clasp handfuls of the material, every finger making its way through the plush threads.  The embodiment of feeling safe and loved.

Oh, and the smells!  Fragrant, rich, musk smells reminiscent of beautiful cedar, cinnamon and chocolate.  Blending with the warmth of all the other senses, the scents would permeate the fabrics, only adding to their richness.  The essence was intoxicating and she breathed deeply to try and capture it all. 

Every sense drunk with satisfaction.  Every cell in her body pleased.  A place where  sadness and worry and pain could not touch her.  Where her smile felt completely at home.  A place she never wanted to leave.  A dream she never wanted to end…

But the wind became stronger.   The chimes louder.  The hammock threatening to turn her upside down.  And she knew it was time.  Time to awake from her perfect, beautiful dream.  Time to take the glorious sights and sounds and smells and touches of her dreams and wrap them around the people she would love that day.  So that they could see the wondrous colors of warmth and acceptance. The sounds of laughter and gentle understanding. The touch of  grace and love.  The smells of depth and meaning.  Because the dream was not hers to keep, but hers to share.  Its splendor and vastness too great to be withheld.

So she headed into her day, prepared to be a song, a color, a fragrance and a soft touch in someone’s life.  Excited that the dream was bigger than herself. Glad that its impact could be shared with others.  And looking forward to her next encounter with a hammock, a gentle breeze, and a chime….