The Tiny Bird

This morning, I was up by five, as my dog woke up extra early, and I decided to stay up, as my son was leaving extra early for school today. Battling a cold, I was exhausted by seven thirty, as we had been up past ten each night. So, I gave in and laid down with my cat Tigger for a nap under a cozy blanket. I woke up 2 hours later. I guess I needed the extra sleep. I woke up feeling happy, remembering a very sweet dream in which my father, who passed away in 2008, appeared. In the dream, he and I were at a crafts festival, and the competition was to enter the most creative crocheted flowers. Yes, I am not making this up. I had won a prize, and he was very proud of me, and gave me a live tiny bird that sang with a crystal bell like voice. The bird was so tiny, it was the  size of half my pinkie fingernail. It was dark green, with a shiny black beak, and shiny black eyes. It sat peacefully on my father's open hand, as he smiled at me and carefully put the tiny bird on my palm. I woke up feeling so content, like I had been to a very special place. I have no idea to know factually speaking, whether there truly is a spirit world, but in the last months my father often visits me in my dreams. It is always at night, though. This was the first time he visits me during a day time nap. He seemed so real, his voice, his blue eyes, his smile, the touch of his hands. It was wonderful. I have no idea whether my mind fabricated this story in a wishful thinking sort of way, or whether his spirit really visits my dreams, but either way, it makes me marvel at our minds, that can accommodate us so cleverly, that we wake up feeling we were really in that moment, in that experience.The setting also was beautiful, in a green field, near water, and there was a lot of light, and a haze of pink and white like clouds drifting close to the ground where we were walking. It was warm, and even though there was evidence of other people being near, in the presence of several trailers, my father and I were the only people there. It really felt like a visit from him, and it made me glad that he seemed happy, and that he came to spend some time with me.