I’ve always been a big dreamer – like vivid, plot-heavy dreams that feel more like full-length movies than sleep. As detailed as they can be, they’ve never been recurring.

Well, not until recently.

Lately, one keeps coming back. Over and over. It changes a little each time, but the core of it stays the same.

I’m at an airport with my family. Sometimes it’s my husband and our kids. Sometimes it’s my mom and my aunt. It’s always with family, always with people I love deeply. We’re trying to get somewhere, and there’s always some kind of problem. We’re late. The weather’s bad. We’re worried that the ride is too far.

There’s stress. There’s urgency. There’s tension.

And every time, I’m the one who always fixes it. I’m the one who pushes us to the front of the line. I’m the one who makes the call, who finds the gate, who calms the panic. I get us there. I always get us there.

Then I get on the plane. And there’s only one seat. Just one. 

And it’s mine.

I had the dream again last night, and when I woke up, it hit me like a wave: this dream is my life.

For so very many of us, especially moms, we are the ones who make it all happen. We’re the itinerary-keepers, the lunch-packers, the late-night email-answerers, the “do you have your tap shoes?” reminder-setters. We carry everyone’s bags. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, too.

We lead the family through the airport.

And we often forget there’s supposed to be a seat for us, too.

What struck me most in the dream wasn’t that I fixed everything. That honestly felt familiar. What hit me the hardest was the fact that, in the end, there was only one seat, and it was always mine. It was like the dream was saying: “You’re helping everyone else get there, but this journey? It’s yours too.”

This actually blew my mind. It was like I received therapy, dream interpretation, and a blog post all at once.

It made me wonder how often I pour all my energy into making sure everyone else is safe and secure and seen, and I forget to ask: Am I safe? Am I secure? Am I seen?

Maybe the dream is a reminder that I’m not just the one getting people on the plane. I’m meant to go somewhere, too.

So here’s what I’m holding onto today:

• It’s okay to be the leader.
• It’s okay to be the caretaker.
• It’s okay to be the problem solver.
• But…it’s NOT okay to forget your seat.

Don’t forget your place.

Don’t forget your journey.

There is a seat for you…and it’s NOT just a leftover. It’s yours.

Have you ever had a dream that stuck with you? One that felt like it had something to say? I’d love to hear it! And if you’re reading this and feeling tired from leading everyone to the gate, let me be the one to say it: Sit down. Rest. Buckle up for your journey. You’ve earned your seat on the plane!