I’ve been having dreams recently about my mother, and in them, she hates me and is my enemy. I’ve had them before, but it’s been awhile. I wake up crying. I saw her yesterday for the first time in a few months (we live four hours away now), and it was great. We’ve always gotten along so well. Any ideas?
— Dave, 43, Detroit, MI

Lauri: Your mother is probably not playing herself at all but rather some part of you that is angry at yourself. Typically, our mothers will represent our ability to be motherly, caring, and nurturing to others and ourselves. The mother in a dream can also represent our creative side, the part of us that “gives birth” to new ideas and new parts of our lives.
You should also put any personality traits you both share into play here. For example, is your mother the type of person that tells it like it is, speaks up for herself, and so on? If so, is the part of you that is like that upset for some reason?