The Tiger

Last night I had a vivid dream about encountering a TIGER as my friend Debi and I were walking up Maple St. We were looking for my lost parked car somewhere between Wellesley and Francis. A HUGE tiger calmly walked across the street and panic ensued.

I heard Debi scream ,“TIGER” and then the sound of her shoes hitting the pavement as she made a lightening retreat. Her voice faded into the distance.

Then I froze…totally unable to move. A lot of time passed.

The story in my dream continued and fortunately there was resolution with restored movement, a retreat to friends, a return to the scene, and a plausible explanation for why a tiger was walking around. There also was an understanding of trauma response, Debi’s flight and my freeze, that I explained to her.

PTSD triggered…the streets are in Spokane. The TIGER is the fire. The lost car is my brain damage. Debi is a “you are not alone” companion. Friends are a community. The trauma awareness is years of vulnerable self-study, therapy and reconstruction after devastating loss.

What I experienced affirms for me the power of dreams and their capacity to create connections that offer healing.

My checkered past (complete with trauma, consequential PTSD, brain injury from repeated concussions, previous experience with wild fire, and life in Spokane) is coupled with a commitment to self-awareness. Somehow the strength of how this weaves together is increasing as I have faith in kairos as an expression of divinity.

Prayers for Spokane