A Bear Visited Me in a Dream and my dog Easter came too
Early this morning I had the most amazing dream. In the dream, I was awakened from sleep by an animal poking at my arm. It was one of those dreams where you feel you have just woken up, but you are actually still asleep. There in front of me was the most beautiful golden-brown bear. She was staring at me, blinking softly with cappuccino-brown eyes. I lay there still, not wanting to get up, afraid that I would startle her or get the dogs barking, so I pretended I was asleep.
“You can pet me,” she said as I slowly opened my eyes to see if she was still there. I watched her eyes gaze at me and then away, looking to see if they switched to aggression. They were beautiful. I wanted to stare at them but knew better than to look any animal in the eye for too long. Still lying down with my head on the pillow, I reached for her and petted her tentatively, like I would a dog that I know has a history of biting. I felt the side of her neck and below her ear. Her fur was soft between my fingers, a mixture of colors: golden, brown, gray, and even some black. She was softer than I thought she would be, less coarse than the bear hair I have pulled off telephone poles in the woods.
I retreated my hand and closed my eyes. She nudged me again with her muzzle, like my Border Collie, Bradley, would do to continue being petted.
“Oh, you’re locked inside,” I realized, as thoughts passed between us as fast as telepathy happens. I stood up. She sat watching me as she let me gain some distance down the hallway. Following close behind me were Bradley; Felix, my chi; and Easter—my deceased Chihuahua/Pit mix who died last January—all at the door wanting to go out. No one was barking at her. It was as if she belonged with us.
I opened the door cautiously, making Bradley go out slowly and shooing my other dogs to the side with my body. There was Easter below me in her purple sweater, ready to rush out the door. I reached for her and picked her up like I have done hundreds of times before. She was heavy, like she was before she got sick and died. As I felt the weight of her between my hands, my whole being filled with love. I felt my cheeky little girl again. The bear lumbered out the door. I put Easter back down. Then all the dogs ran out the door in separate directions. I debated about opening the yard gate to let the bear out but then realized she could climb it when she was ready. She sat in the yard like Pooh Bear, rolling back on her hips, watching the dogs sniff around and go for their morning pee. She kept her eye on me, but it was soft, as if she were an old Golden Retriever coming over for a play date.
“Just visiting you. I will stay awhile,” she said.
The fear I had earlier was gone. Everyone was safe.
When I awoke from the dream, I was mad at myself that I didn’t hug Easter more—hold her closer to me or turn her around so I could see her face. But I knew something special had happened. It was a visitation dream. They usually happen early in the morning, just before waking. In them, one usually sees and feels more clearly than one does in waking life. I am sure Easter made a friend and brought her to me. Easter was always making friends.
It is hard for our loved ones in Spirit to manifest in a dream. They have to take an existing dream, place themselves in it, and make it make sense—and then wake us up. Or they have to wipe our unconscious clean, create a dream, and then wake us. Not every spirit has the energy to do it, and not everyone’s mind can be easily manipulated. If I were having inner turmoil, my unconscious could have easily hijacked it and made the dream more of a nightmare. Usually our loved ones’ visitations happen in waking life and feel much more subtle. So when the dreams happen, it is extremely special. There is a reason why the bear was much more vivid than Easter. I ask them now: What is your message for me and my readers?
The dream bear says, “Always know that when you sleep, your spirit can travel and wander. Be open to connecting with the spirit of the animals. You may be surprised who shows up. Never forget your energetic connection to the natural world.”
Easter, my late dog, says, “Mom, I am traveling the universe and making new friends. Remember to live with an excited, brave spirit. Do not get bored with life. Your heart is the doorway to all things magical. I may be across the universe, yet I am never far away from you. I love you.”
For the past week, every morning, I have had a new routine of aiming my energy and my thoughts toward and into the expansive oneness of nature.
It is no coincidence that Easter and the bear were able to visit me. My energy was closer to them. Know that connection is waiting to happen. Believe in life’s infinite possibilities.
Aim Higher. Be well.
Laura
The dream bear says,
“Always know that when you sleep, your spirit can travel and wander. Be open to connecting with the spirit of the animals. You may be surprised who shows up. Never forget your energetic connection to the natural world.”
This is a mother bear I knew back in 2006. It is not the bear in my story. She is lighter in color than the bear in my dream, but their bodies are very similar.
This is sweet Easter, the dog who visited me in the dream. This is also the purple sweater she was wearing in the dream. She always wore falconry bells and a tracker because she was always sneaking off—disappearing on her own adventures. The bells would help me find exactly where she was.
It was hard to lose her and Luca in the same year. She is loved and missed every single day. It is a great gift that I was able to feel the weight of her healthy body in my dream.
Easter says,
“Mom, I am traveling the universe and making new friends. Remember to live with an excited, brave spirit. Do not get bored with life. Your heart is the doorway to all things magical. I may be across the universe, yet I am never far away from you. I love you.”