I have always been able to remember my dreams. Even as a child, I would wake up and quickly write down what I dreamt of so that I would not be able to forget it. I rarely wake up in the morning without being able to recall what I had seen the night before. It has been something that I have always contemplated my entire life. What do dreams mean? What are dreams trying to tell us? Is there even a purpose behind dreaming? I guess we will never know for sure, but I have personally come up with a fairly good reason as to why I might dream. For me, dreaming seems to be a way for my mind to get through certain events that are happening in my life. By dreaming about certain issues that are arising in my life, it usually allows me to understand what I might need to do. I believe that there is a reason for everything.

When I was around nineteen, I almost got engaged to my boyfriend and moved out of state with him. For many personal reasons, this did not work out and did not end up happening. I never thought that I would ever speak to him again after that. Personally, this was one of the hardest things I had to deal with at that time in my life. About a month ago, he had contacted me letting me know that he had moved to Tucson, and he would be living within a few miles of me. It had almost been three years since I had last spoken to him, and my anxiety was growing with every breath. I was so upset so I went to bed early. I dreamt about meeting up with him again and it did not go so well. I woke up with the understanding that it would not be in my best interest to see him again. This is a perfect example of how my dreams allow me to move past upsetting issues in my day-to-day life.

Back in high school, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. We did not know if she would live or die. This was really when my anxiety began to grow. I was not sleeping very much and had major issues with my depression. When I was prescribed a sleeping aid, it helped me monumentally. I was finally able to get some rest. I would constantly dream of my mother being in remission. I dreamt that she would run into my room, hug me, and tell me that she was not sick anymore. This is what gave me so much hope. I had to stay strong because I wanted my dreams to become a reality. After a few years of my mother battling Cancer, she was finally Cancer-free.

I was never good at math, I never excelled in science. English had always been my strongest area. My parents weren't always convinced that I would get into college because of my weaknesses in these areas. I remember my dad telling me that I would never be able to get into the University of Arizona. I began dreaming at night that I received the big envelope from the school. I dreamt that I would be able to study literature at one of the top universities in the Southwest. Every time my dad would yell at me or try to knock me down, I knew deep down that I would be able to attend the U of A. My dreams helped me gain confidence about myself.

In the end, it was all about your brain's love for your heart. Your brain always does it's best to protect you. It always filters out the worst of the worst so that you will be able to get through whatever it is that you need to. My brain uses dreams to help me through my toughest times. I dream that things will be perfect and happy, and it gives me hope. Sometimes I dream that a situation will go array, and it helps me think about the situation from different perspectives. I believe that everyone has a reason for why they dream the way they do. Even if the dream is obscure, it may just be used for a break for the mind. Sometimes dreams are an amazing break from reality. Even if the dream does not make sense at first, it is always interesting to attempt to think about what it might have meant.