A Reflection on Life's Transitions: From the Stadium to Something Higher
By Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar
Life, with all its twists and turns, can feel like one big series of shifts, some expected, some totally out of the blue. A dream I had recently got me thinking about how we move through these different stages, and how each one seems to lead us somewhere unexpected, often in ways that we don't see coming.
The dream started at a New Orleans Saints football game, with the Saints playing the Dallas Cowboys. The energy was electric, the kind you feel when everyone is on edge, waiting to see how things will turn out. But, just as the game was reaching its final moments, with two minutes left on the clock, everything came to a screeching halt. There is no explanation, no final whistle, and no resolution. It was like the whole thing got stuck in limbo. How often does life hit us like that? You're pushing toward something big, expecting that last moment of triumph or closure, and then everything stops. No closure, no final score. You're just left hanging, wondering what happens next.
Before I knew it, the dream had shifted, and suddenly I was no longer in the stadium. I found myself in a grocery store, casually picking up a few items, nothing fancy, just the basics. It was such a drastic change from the chaos of the game, but it felt right. There’s something about grocery stores in dreams like they symbolize preparation or gathering what you need to move forward. It’s as if I was stocking up on essentials before the next big thing, like the universe, was telling me to pause, take a breath, and make sure I was ready for whatever was coming next.
And then came the elevator. I didn’t know where it was going, but I stepped inside anyway. Elevators are funny symbols, aren’t they? You step in, and you’re whisked away to another place entirely, without really knowing how you got there. When the doors opened, I was no longer in the familiar. I had been transported to another country entirely. It wasn’t jarring, though. Instead, I was walking down this long, gorgeous street, surrounded by breathtaking views and stunning buildings. Everything about this new place was extraordinary like I had stepped into a dream within a dream. It felt like I had arrived somewhere new, somewhere that was full of possibilities.
As I wandered down the street, I felt drawn to this one building, a restaurant that practically screamed luxury. It was the kind of place that made you feel like you were stepping into something special, something out of reach but somehow meant for you. A woman opened the door, and I could tell right away this was no ordinary spot. This was an invitation to experience something beyond what I’d known before.
Looking back on this dream, it felt like a metaphor for life’s transitions. We often start in a place of competition, whether it’s a literal game, like in my dream, or something internal, like pushing yourself to meet a goal or prove something to the world. But sometimes, that forward momentum gets interrupted. Something stops you in your tracks, and you’re left without closure, without knowing how things will end. And in that moment, you’re forced to shift gears.
That’s when the grocery store comes in, this phase of life where you gather what you need, the essentials that will sustain you. It’s a practical pause, but it’s also a necessary one. We all need those moments where we prepare ourselves for the next step, even if we don’t know what that step is just yet.
And then, out of nowhere, life puts you in an elevator. You step in, unsure of where it’s going to take you, but trusting the process. When the doors open, you find yourself somewhere completely different, another country, another phase of life, something entirely new. You’re walking down a street you’ve never been on before, seeing things you never imagined. There’s a sense of awe, of possibility, like you’ve just stepped into the next chapter of your life and everything is waiting for you to discover it.
Finally, you reach that metaphorical expensive restaurant. It’s a place that represents something refined, something elevated as you’ve arrived at a point in your life where you’re ready to experience abundance, beauty, and grace. It’s a reminder that, after all the competition, the preparation, and the uncertain transitions, you’re deserving of something extraordinary. You’ve earned your seat at the table.
What strikes me most about this dream is how it mirrors the way life often unfolds. We start out chasing after something, and sometimes, we’re forced to pause before we get the outcome we expect. We take time to gather ourselves, to prepare for what’s next. And then, when the time is right, we’re lifted to a new level, stepping into unfamiliar territory. But if we trust the journey, we find ourselves in places we never dreamed possible, surrounded by beauty and opportunities we didn’t know were waiting for us.
Life, like that elevator ride, can take you places you never imagined. And even when you can’t see the destination, you just have to trust that you’re being guided to something beautiful, something meant for you. Because every twist, every turn, and every pause along the way is preparing you for that moment when the doors open, and you step out into the next chapter of your life.
As I reflect on this dream, it reminds me to embrace the uncertainty, the transitions, and even the pauses in life. Whether I’m in the middle of a game that gets interrupted, picking up the pieces in the grocery store, or walking down a brand-new street, each step is part of the bigger picture. And when the time comes to walk through the doors of that restaurant, I’ll be ready for it, knowing that everything leading up to that moment has prepared me for what’s next.
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