I dreamed I was in a multi-story parking lot and I couldn’t find my car. There was dirty, slushy snow all over, and I was circling every floor yelling. My mom was sitting on a bumper drunk and smoking a cigarette. She doesn’t smoke, and I’ve never seen her drunk. I cried.
–Blaire, 29, Spokane, WA
Lauri: The parking lot suggests some area of your life is “parked,” on hold, not going anywhere. Losing your car is a classic dream symbol for feeling directionless. Dirty water or even dirty snow often points to depression. The way you circle every floor indicates that you feel you are going in circles in life, exhausting your energy and going nowhere. Your mom may not be playing herself but rather standing in for your role as mom. Are you a mom or wanting to become a mom? Do you drink and smoke? Is this something you feel might interfere with motherhood? This dream is telling you it’s time to make a decision that will get you going in the right direction.
Blaire replies: Wow! That seems entirely relevant to my world right now. I took a job January ’05 and wound up moving in with my boss. We planned to get married and have a baby. Things got complicated at work and at home. Then he decided he didn’t want to have kids. All of my married friends started getting pregnant; I knew I would be missing something. I was so depressed, I turned to vodka more than I should have. You are very much right on. Thank you.