Rescuing Dad from Drowning

[Hapa Honey]

I had this nightmare a long time ago (beginning of March after I had come back from England), but I would like to hear a few interpretations due to it shaking me up so much. I have had the creepiest and most frightening nightmares before. For example, dreaming about being trapped in a circular room with bloody arms snatching at me for walls and a thin, veined membrane above a pool of blood for the floor, with the sound of screaming babies in the background. However, none of those nightmares affected me as much as this one did. I was crying for the rest of the day because I really love my dad and we have not had the chance to become close again. When I was younger we were very close, but then he had a job where he would be gone most of the time and as I grew older we drifted apart. I tried to bridge the gap again when I moved to Canada (my family still lives in England) by writing him a note telling him how I feel and how I was sorry if I ever disappointed him and that I do love him very much and want us to become close again. I heard from mum that it made him cry and since then we have slowly been growing closer, but he still seems shy and unsure of what to say.

Dad shouting at me in the first paragraph would happen in real life when I was a teenager, but I was always too upset to say anything back. My feelings there were also real.

Now, here is the dream.

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I am in my parents' kitchen. I am not aware of what time it is, but the lights are on. Dad is standing in front of the refrigerator and I am facing him. He is shouting at me: 'Why don't you have any friends! Why don't you go outside; go to town! Why don't you have a part-time job!' I feel very upset and I am crying, 'Why did I even bother trying to get to know you better when you treat me like this?' I run upstairs into my old room and slam the door shut. I keep thinking about what he has said and how nobody likes me enough to be my friend; how everyone bullies me so much I am afraid to go outside; how I do not have the time to get a part-time job and am scared of being bullied further in the workplace and failing miserably. Not only do I feel upset, but I also feel angry at dad for not understanding me and angry at myself for not being able to keep my calm long enough to explain; I am hurt so quickly when dad is angry or upset with me. As I am thinking this, I hear dad preparing to take a bath as the water is running.

It is later in the night and must be after 9.00 p.m. now. I no longer hear water splashing in the bathroom. I open my bedroom door and walk onto the landing to see if the bathroom light is still on; it is off. I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face without switching the light on. Since I have left the door open, the light from the landing comes in anyway. I stand in front of the sink and look in the mirror. I hear the sound of bubbles popping on the surface of water and knowing there is no water in the sink, I turn to look at the bathtub. I see a dark grey form in it. As I stare at it, the blurred image in the darkness eventually becomes clearer; it is dad beneath the water. He looks cold and grey, but he still seems to be trying to breathe. He must have fallen asleep in the bathtub. I scream and start crying as I rush towards him. I dip my arms into the cold water, wrapping them around his shoulders and hugging him tight as I lift him out of the bathtub. He is coughing weakly. I am crying and I scream at mum that he is drowning and for her to come upstairs.

[Clarity]

Judging by what you told us, I think this dream was about your mind scrolling back these events that previously happened in real life. You feel sad about the distance that´s been between you and your dad for all those years, and seeing your dad drowning may be a reflection of your feelings. You may feel like ´drowning´ due to the fact that you´ve not been able to form a close bond with him, and ´saving him from drowning´ may indicate your will to save yourself from drowning, i.e the will to form a close relationship with him, to become close to him. I hope you find the answers you were looking for. Good luck with everything!