last night's dream
i was at the beach of lake michigan when i came upon a mother with a young daughter.  she was probably 5 or 6.  they were sitting on a driftwood log, not unlike the one that sits on the shore at the leelanau school.
a cobra had washed ashore and the girl was playing with it.  it kept lifting its head and swaying back and forth with its neck fanned out, spitting at the girl.  i tried to warn her that it was dangerous, but she was having fun and was not scared.  her mother knew the snake was dangerous, but didn't think that it would bite her daughter, so she wasn't worried.
a while later, the 3 of us were sitting on the curb outside my parent's house.  the girl was still playing with the snake.  suddenly, the cobra bit the little girl.  she screamed out in pain and fear, and threw the snake into the neighbor's yard.  her mother looked at me and asked if the bite of the black cobra was venemous.   i told her i didn't know, but i would find out.
i ran into my parent's house and went upstairs to the office.  alice was sitting in front of both computer monitors, so i had a hard time getting online and seeing the information.  i kept trying to type "black cobra" into the search engine, but i couldn't hit the right keys and nothing was coming out right.  i kept glancing out the window and the mother was pacing nervously and looking up at the house, wondering where i was and if i was coming back.
i went out to the garage and tried to explain to her that i was looking it up online but having problems.  i went back inside to try again, but then i looked out the window once more and saw the mother leave with her daughter.  i didn't know what she decided or where she was going, but i hoped they were going to the hospital, because i was really scared for the little girl and afraid she might die.  i knew her mother's intentions were good though, even if she didn't wind up doing the right thing.

this morning, upon remembering this dream, i felt compelled to find out more about cobras online.  it turns out that there really is a kind of cobra called 'black cobra'.  i didn't know this until today.  and apparently, all cobras are venemous.  but i think that's beside the point.

it's funny that sometimes i don't understand what a dream is all about until i write it out.  i can go over it in my head time and again and not really get it until i sit down and write about it.

i keep trying to take control over what happened in the past, but it's too late.  my mother's intentions were good, even if she didn't do the right thing.

this message feels very reassuring to me.


.