Last night, my mother informed me that a family member had passed away six months ago, and she was sad, that we just found out about it.  As I listened to her speak about the man who passed away, I couldn’t help but allow my mind to drift to a time in my childhood, when I first met this very man, who married a second cousin of ours decades ago, in a continent  far away from the one we currently call home.

And then I got to thinking about first crushes. You know the one that stays with you for a lifetime, and occasionally crosses your mind, and you begin to wonder about the person? That’s my story with the man who swept my second cousin off her feet.  I was 9 or 10 at the time and he was 25. Go figure. I kept my feelings  to myself for years, mostly because I felt embarrassed about crushing on an older man. I mean, that’s not normal right? Or is it – according to this,  this,  this and this article.

So, I finally confided in my mother last night and watched her jaw drop – learning of my secret about the man, who according to my mother, was the kindest gentleman she’d ever met, and a handsome one at that – she added…

Do you remember your first crush? And does he/she ever cross your mind? 

Have you seen these films:  here, and here  

 

On the topic of dying – or death.  Do you ever feel like you’ve died or on the verge of dying – or it feels like that way in a dream? I did, last night in the most unusual way – where I forced myself to wake up, and when I did my heart ached. I assumed that subconsciously I was thinking about my earlier  conversation with my mother about my cousin-in-law and dying? But in the morning, while on the commuter train to work, I discovered dreams about being dead are apparently a good thing –

To] die in your dream symbolizes inner changes, transformation, self-discovery and positive development that is happening within you or your life. You are undergoing a transitional phase and are becoming more enlightened or spiritual. Although such a dream may bring about feelings of fear and anxiety, it is no cause for alarm as it is often considered a positive symbol. Dreams of experiencing your own death usually means that big changes are ahead for you. You are moving on to new beginnings and leaving the past behind. These changes does not necessarily imply a negative turn of events. {source}

Have you ever experienced dying in your sleep? And what was your reaction? Did you jump out of bed, or stayed asleep and why?