I have this recurring dream that I was watching someone’s small child, usually an infant, and I have forgotten about it. It’s my “where’s the baby?” dream. I have been known to get up, race around the house, waking others and mumbling something about a baby. Sometimes I dream I have left the baby upstairs in a crib (we don’t have a crib or a baby). It’s always a very frustrating dream.
–Kathy, 48, Meridian, NY
Lauri: These dreams seem to be pointing to a certain level of chaos in your life. The baby in your dreams is some sort of responsibility you have at the time. You get this dream when you feel like you don’t have a good handle on your responsibilities. Do you tend to have too much going on in your life to the point that certain obligations get overlooked? Your dreaming mind views it as a baby because you are actually a responsible person and realize that even the smallest obligation is important. Not having so much on your plate might make this dream go away. Try to lighten your load and give yourself more “me time.”
Kathy replies: Yes, I am very prone to having way too much on my plate at one time. This past June my mom was diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer, so life has definitely been chaotic. Mom is finally on the road to recovery from surgery. We have chemo to look forward to, poor thing. So, I’ve been trying to not overextend myself.