Could it be that the
monsters under
our bed are there only by invitation?
Could it be that the
monsters under
our bed are there only by invitation?
One summer afternoon I took our two children, Samantha (age 4 1/2) and Bradford (age 7), for a walk where the Electric Transmission lines cut through the woods behind our home. The path of the power lines has created a 100 yard wide trail of knee high grass and low shrubs with towering trees at each side.
While we were walking Samantha asked, "Dad, are there snakes here?" "Yes," I replied, "there can be snakes anywhere but, if you are careful not to bother them, they won't bother you."
Several minutes later Bradford emerged from a thicket crying, with great drama, "Help! I've been bitten by a snake and I'm bleeding!"
Samantha and I went over to investigate the extent of his "injuries." After looking at the few minor scratches with only a tiny drop of blood showing - Samantha declared, "Those are pricker-pricks. You didn't get bited by a snake!"
"Did too get snake bit!" Bradford pouted.
"You only got bit by a 'Dream Snake' and you're just trying to scare me," Samantha continued.
"What's a Dream Snake?" I asked. "Dream Snakes are just in your head. They're bad things that aren't really there," Samantha explained. "I don't have any snakes in my head," Bradford protested. "You do if you think a pricker-prick is a snake bite. Besides, I didn't hear any real snakes," Samantha said as she looked around.
When I asked Samantha what a real snake sounds like she just spread her arms and made a noise like grass growing.
"-and I don't hear that. I hear wind and birds and clouds and smiles. You know there are no snakes when your hear happy sounds," she explained with all the patience and wisdom a 4 year old could command. That evening, as I put Samantha to bed, I asked about Dream Snakes and what made her think of them.
"They're just like monsters under my bed. They're only there if I want them to be... I didn't want anything to make me afraid, Dad. I only want a happy time when we go for a walk," she explained as she gave me a hug and night kiss.
As I walked back to the living room I couldn't help but think we all get bit by Dream Snakes from time to time. We give our fears a life of their own. Dream Snakes, like the monsters under the bed, are only there if we want them to be.