I don’t do it every night, but from time to time I like to plant a “dream seed” in the girls heads before I kiss them goodnight.
The dream seed gives them something pleasant to think about while they drift off to sleep. The idea here is that if the seed is about a particular topic it might blossom into something more as the night wears on.
Tonight’s was about canoeing. I asked the girls to picture the four of us canoeing along a wide, tranquil lake, with water so perfectly smooth it reflects the blue sky like a mirror. The paddles break the surface as quietly as a slow ticking clock, water striders dance on the surface while silvery fish follow underneath. We pass acres of water lilies, each one with its shining bright face turned up towards the sun. We are approaching a large wooded island which gets larger as we get closer. Here is where we find…
… and that’s where I stopped, so each girl could fill in the rest and let the seed grow into something more.
Sarah started to tell me about a conch shell, but I asked her to wait and tell me about it in the morning.
I like to think of the dream seeds as a kind of kid-friendly meditation, an easy way to relax in bed with happy thoughts.
