“17 WINDOWS, A Dream” Today is November 2, All Soul’s Day also my 51^st Wedding Anniversary.  I woke up this morning mumbling “17 Windows” I was reacting to a dream I had just woken from.  It was kind of a prophetic dream with several meanings.  I wanted to try to remember the details of the dream so I wrote my recollections down.  Recently I have had discussions with a talented photographer friend who is spending time documenting the celebrations in Oaxaca, Mexico.  He is in the throngs of a huge celebration called Dias de los Muertos, Day of the Dead celebration.  “Altars are usually decorated with flowers, candles, pan de muerto, ceramic skulls, and most importantly pictures of loved ones. Food placed on the altar consists of the loved ones favorite dishes and treats. Drinks should be placed in the altar to quench the thirst of the dead after their long journey back home.” I told my friend that although I thought these traditions were beautiful I had a hard time understanding them and also could not celebrate in this way over the death of my son and other loved ones. 

THE DREAM: Our friend, who happened to be our son Claude’s first fiddle teacher came to talk to me and tell me that he was sad to say that he found out that 17 windows had been broken and that my son Claude had something to do with it.  He wasn’t blaming him just stating a fact that 17 windows had been broken and that it really wasn’t Claude’s fault or mine.  No one was really responsible.  We are not blaming anyone and do not want to get anyone in trouble.  He said things like this just happen and they don’t just happen for any reason and that, for lack of a better word, it was purposeful and unavoidable. 

Then I saw another friend’s face in my dream, who had just passed away a few days ago.  He was smiling broadly as he did in life.  He said that everything was fine and not to worry anymore.  I saw Claude near him but could not see his face.  He was looking down and looking sad.  I kept saying I am sorry to him over and over again.  The thought came back to me that there was nothing to be sorry for.  It was no one’s fault 17 windows got broken and now they are being repaired.  It is done and no one is at fault. 

I looked up the meaning of the number 17 and it said, “Responsible for insight, responsibility for self-discipline, strength, compassion, spiritual consciousness and wisdom, a desire for peace and love for all of humanity.  In the Biblical reference it said, “17 is a symbol of victory and perfection.  It refers to the spiritual perfection in the first place.  It is a combination of 10 and 7.  10 symbolizes perfect order.  7 is a symbol of perfection.  The number 17 closely relates to 1 & 7 and to the tarot of immortality.  Which means your legacy lives on after you have passed from this place.  With the addition of intuition allowing the number 17 individual to see the hidden truths and allowing universal healing and understanding.”

Dreams come to us in many forms and for many different reasons.  Many people like Sigmund Freud have studied and interpreted the meaning of dreams. According to Freud, ” The person as a whole is often represented in the form of a house—houses with smooth walls are men, and those with projections and balconies to which one might cling are women.” It’s clear to me what the broken windows in my house symbolize. In this dream, I will take away my own personal interpretation that life is truly a mystery and a gift and that even through our grief, we must struggle to go on.  I also know that love conquers all even beyond the grave. So maybe I understand Dias de los Muertos  more than I know?