Strange Dreams

I've had a couple very strange dreams lately; and I think about them both from time to time.

The first-was strangely bizarre.

The dream takes place in my Texas hometown. For whatever reason, I am in my little town (city, really) and I hear the news that a great, man-eating shark has escaped and is on the loose. The whole dream, I am terrified to go anywhere, for fear that I'll run into it. In my mind (in my dream) I start going over various scenarios in which I might run into this shark, and I try to figure out how I would fight it off. All I can think about is that it will probably bite my feet off if I try to kick it. Part of me wonders how the shark is loose in my hometown--we don't live by the ocean, though there are a couple of nearby lakes . . . but in my dream, the shark is loose on the streets. I either figured out (or someone told me) that because the shark had eaten so many men, it had grown lungs and could breathe without being in the water. I don't remember if I actually ever ran into the shark, because I woke up during the dream before anything too crazy could happen.

The second was strangely wonderful.

This dream, comes, I think, because I have really been missing going to the temple regularly. (I've been pretty sick lately, but that's another post.)

Anyway, in this dream, we (Tyler and I) are participating in some ward function where we are going to the Salt Lake Temple (which I've never been inside of before--and am very excited to see when my sister gets married in a couple days). And in my dream, the temple is gorgeous. It is absolutely the most beautiful place I've ever been in. The beauty of it all practically takes my breath away, and I am staring at everything. As I look around me, I notice a beautiful water feature (remember, this is a dream) with like . . . a fountain within a fountain within a fountain. (That's the best way I can think to describe it.) And as I'm taking it in, some huge revelation about the importance of the number 3 (which does actually have biblical significance) is about to click in my mind--and we are ushered onward into the temple. As we're going along, Tyler and I write out a check for our monthly tithing, but we, for some reason, neglect to get a tithing slip and envelope. Suddenly, President Thomas S. Monson appears to collect all of our tithing, and Tyler and I scramble to find an envelope and tithing slip. But being the wonderful man that he is, President Monson patiently waits for us to get what we need, and even offers his assistance. Once we do get everything together, he chatted with us (ok--just me . . . it was my dream after all) he started asking me about why I've been so sick lately. And in my mind (in my dream) I'm thinking, "Hey!! I didn't tell him about this. And he knows!! He really is a prophet." We laugh and chat a little more, and then my dream ends, and I wake up.

Seriously I woke up so happy from that dream. I might have even shed a happy tear or two. It really put me in such a good mood (something I've been sorely in need of).

At any rate, I have no idea what these dreams may mean (if anything). But despite their strangeness, I really liked them. (Even though the shark dream was a little scary.) And I do think about them from time to time.

If anyone has any magical interpretations of these dreams, I'd love to hear them. Because really . . . a shark loose in Texas? The prophet collecting my tithing? Just weird. Weird weird weird.