“Mum, is this a dream?” My five year old asked me recently. “Is what a dream?” I needed clarification. It was the middle of the afternoon and I was finishing off some urgent office work before going upstairs to start dinner. “You know. Me, you, here.” His answer was intriguing enough for me to stop what I was doing and give him my full attention. “What do you mean?” Needless to say I was confused. He swished his arms around in the dramatic fashion he was prone to, “Here. This. Where we are. Is it a dream?” I smiled. “No darling, we’re all real.” I kissed him on the head. My answer must have satisfied him because he happily went back to his drawing. I knew from experience that more questions would have followed had I not been specific enough for him.

But the unusual exchange got me thinking later. A dream is very real to us until we wake up from it, even though we all think we know the difference between dream and reality. The realities of living get shoved down our throats every moment of the day. As a contrast the saying: ‘We’re just spiritual beings having a human experience’, holds some significant weight in the world, even for those without faith.

So, here’s the interesting question contemplated by a five year old: Is life the dream? Is death indeed the awakening we all share? Those with faith know that humanity isn’t the end. It’s just a stopover. Reality is the spirit within. A faith in God is the difference between having a window into the awakening, as well as living in the dream.

I’m starting to understand better when Jesus said: ‘anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it.’ Sometimes a simple pondering holds an essential answer.