“My niece … who is 3, had a dream the other night that a monkey kissed her and a bear hugged her. She remembers it with great detail, and whenever I bring up her deceased grandparents, she refers back to that dream. I want to say that the monkey represents my mother, her grandmother, and the bear is my father, her grandfather. Is that too farfetched?”

No, that’s not farfetched at all. That’s exactly what I would have said. Especially in children, our loved ones come through as animals or other things that are comforting. The dream did its purpose without making her sad or afraid.  If her grandparents had come as themselves, she may not even have remembered the dream upon awakening.

Dreams like this one occur often in children, where loved ones come in and visit but are represented by something else.  Think about how the bear might be similar to or represent your father.  Was he the “big teddy bear” type?  How does the monkey represent your mother?  Maybe there aren’t similarities; maybe there are.  Maybe they just knew your niece likes zoo animals! 

I used to dream about a white rabbit when I was a child, though I still don’t know exactly who that was.  I didn’t have any family members I was close to that had passed away at that time.  It is possible, however, that my white rabbit was an angel or another Heavenly visitor.  White is a color that represents purity, and I did have a pet rabbit that I told all my secrets to.

It’s important to remember that children tend to be more open than adults.  By the time we grow up, we’ve forgotten how true our dreams can be, and we struggle to connect with those we’ve lost.  Children are still gifted in this way; they don’t yet know to doubt.  You are obviously a gift to your niece.  Thank you for supporting who she is.  Thank you for your question and for reminding us about the wonders seen through the eyes of children.

Love and Blessings,

Sheri

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