Last night I dreamt of both my mother and my former mother-in-law. Two separate dreams, each so vivid. When I woke up today, I felt I'd spent time with each of them.

My mother-in-law appears at my old childhood home, in the dream, dressed in white (not an angelic white dress, but a "warm-up outfit" a la the 1980s, which is something she often wore, those shiny warm-up pants and matching jacket that make noise when you walk). She is outside in the driveway, and suddenly a group of bad men, actual Nazis in uniform, come toward her and toward us. She speaks directly to my son, who is Jewish on her side of the family and Christian on the other side, my side. She advises him, clearly, of exactly what to say to the Nazis when they approach him, and reassures him that if he says this, he will be fine.

Tell them, she says,
"There's a tree in the road and you won't be able to get around it."

This saying seems to empower us all, and we stand firm as the Nazis approach. I wake up.

The dream of my mother was longer and more drawn out. It was at an athletic festival, almost a Special Olympics, with many different events, some outdoors and some indoors. My mom is an observer. She is frail and confused, and as she was at the end of her life, on strong medication. But everyone she meets reaches out to help her. She wanders away from me and befriends people, has adventures, and then reappears at day's end.

My dream self was observing her having her many encounters and mishaps, and then finally the me in the dream physically meets back up with her, ready to take her to the car and get her home. She is somewhat irritated with me about something (again, a common experience near the end of her life), very drowsy from the meds, but as always, her witty and soulful self. I sort of pack her into the car and she sighs, half asleep, and asks me, "Where were you? I had a good day."

And that was my dream world last night.