Funny. I've lived away from Beaufort since I graduated college, and yet, I still feel VERY attached to my hometown. It's not just because I still have family there, or that my best friends are still there. It's because I dream of home. Like A LOT. But, not just dreams of being at my or my Grandma's house. I dream of walking down Greene Street. I dream of my Great-Grandmother looking out over the water while standing on the corner where Boundary Street ends and Carteret Street begins. I dream of walking down Bladen Street to Koth's Store, and then walking towards the Waterfront Park, and on top of the cement wall that was in front of the old town hall building on Bay Street. I dream of driving down Ribaut Road....
The dreams that have the most impact on me, though, are the ones of my family who have gone on to glory. One of the best was where I was lying in a hammock with my mother. It was swinging in a warm, gentle breeze, over some beautiful green grass. We were barefoot and wearing capri pants. I whispered to her that I was pregnant, and she whispered back, "I know." Then, I whispered, "You know what that means? You're going to be a grandma." I heard her draw in a breath that caught in her throat as if she hadn't thought about that. I smiled. Once there was another dream, where I was walking down Scott Street, towards our family's plot of land. And, the yard was completely filled with people. The group was so large that it was flowing out onto Greene and Scott Streets. I thought, maybe this group had been in town for the festival and were coming back from the annual Memorial Day parade. I whispered to myself, wondering who all these people were. And, I heard the reply, "Family. That's all family." I remember feeling my mouth drop open, because there were so many people, wearing such beautiful bright colors, and so many different hats, and headdresses! It was a sight! My family.... But sometimes, the dreams are like memories, when I dream of being a little girl with my family at Hunting Island Beach. All such sweet dreams.... To some, dreams are just leftover thoughts from the day before. To others, they are images of things to come. I think that both are true, and yet maybe something more. To me, dreams tie you to places, people, memories that live in your heart. Sometimes they serve as a bridge to our ancestors and past experiences. Sometimes you think that you will leave a place forever, but find that it stays with you. My family stays with me; Beaufort stays with me. I'm always home.