Beautiful Dreamers

 Long ago when I visited my mother who lived in a home, I met The Dreamers. I didn't know, at the time what I know now about Dreamers. They were, in this lovely "home", lined up in  wheelchairs in the hall that had a doorway to a ward reserved for those who needed help eating meals. They were served in spaces that other home residents couldn't see or have access to. These dear, quiet Dreamers, had no interest in doing anything for themselves, but did need to eat and didn't mind that the food was pureed or fed to them. They were "away".  Even though they were not  present, they were aware of the need for nutrition. All the other bodily necessities were of no interest to them. They had dreams and that attracted all of their attention. To others looking on, those called "normal", they were too sick and not truly present.  Now that I am old, even though I am not yet, a dreame, I understand who and what and where they are. When you live a long, long time, you have an encyclopedia of memories. I know that one day, I may join them and it doesn't fill me with fear. It is a comfort to me because I do want to have a time and place to remember all that went before. I will, as a Dreamer, be reviewing my entire time on earth: all of its parts and of he fascination of having lived a life. My care givers will do all the rest for me and my "work" will be merely to dream on and on. My eyes will seem blank, but behind them, I will re-live all the beauties of my former times: the people, the travels, the  the homes, and the natural experiences I was so fortunate to have. They are ones that no one else had.  At last,then as a Dreamer, I will have time and opportunity to go back and live those years over again. No one else can come with me. It's my journey and mind alone. Nothing else will matter but my dreams. Once, my mother joined the other Dreamers. We went to see her and hold her hand and sit next to her and surround her with ourselves. She smiled being far away and did not speak or nod. We thought she had forgotten us. But she hadn't. She was a Dreamer and was remembering us in her mine. We talked to her and laughed and said good-bye and she did not look sad. She waved as the aide directed, and then went back to her beautiful dreams smiling.