We Dream Weavers

By Tracy Schruder

When it comes to my family and people close to me, I’ve always been considered a “dream weaver.”

I took on this title when I was about eight years old. My cousin Terry-Lynn came down for an after-Christmas visit – we had two weeks off school for Christmas back then, so we’d usually have some cousins stay with us for the last week. We were playing truth or dare when the topic switched to dreams and nightmares.

We shared vivid details of our most joyful and frightening experiences. I revealed a secret: I could wake up from a dream and pick up where I left off when I went back to sleep, recalling every detail as if threading a tapestry of the subconscious. Sometimes, my dreams and nightmares would span days. She called me a “dream weaver.” I liked the term and used it to explain the concept because, for lack of a better word, I had no idea what the heck it was.

Now, when we talk, she asks, “How’s the dream weaving going? Any more week-long demented dog nightmares?”

With this, she reminds me that she remembers a particularly frightening nightmare I told her about. It went like this ‘There’s a big Doberman Pinscher chasing me through the village. Every now and then, he would catch me and bite me. I would scream, but the force of the wind in my face seemed to muffle my throat. I would struggle free, feeling the pain from the bite. I’m passing my house but unable to find my way to the front door. I keep fleeing the frothing hellhound until he succeeds me again for another chomp.’

This nightmare dragged on for at least seven days, picking up each night where I left off that morning. It was the longest and most exhausting experience that I’ve had with this ability.

Later, after my fear subsided and I became more comfortable with my long journeys, I’d use my dream content to write better stories.

As an adult, I’ve lost some of that skill, but I’m working to get it back. Keeping a dream journal has been a game-changer; sometimes, reading an entry pulls me back in.

It’s fascinating how we “dream weavers” tap into the subconscious with such clarity. It makes you wonder about reality, consciousness, and the mind’s hidden power.