⏱ ~4 min reading
Little Bogdan was still so tiny that he didn't quite know how to dream. At night, he would simply close his eyes and lie still. His breathing would become even, his fists would open like petals. And in the morning, he would wake up and remember nothing. No meadows, no butterflies, no scary wolves—nothing. Just darkness, silence, then the sun and his mother.
The other children told about their dreams in the morning. Neighbor Olesya said that she saw herself flying over the sea. The boy Nikita assured that he met a fox in red boots in the forest. And Bohdan only smiled and was silent. He was neither happy nor sad - nothing just came to mind.
One evening, his mother was sitting by his crib. She combed his soft hair, straightened the blanket with embroidered bells, and leaned so close that Bohdan could smell the scent of her hair—chamomile tea and a little apple jam.
"Bohdanchik," said his mother quietly. "Do you know what dreams are called?"
“Can we call them?” the boy asked in a surprised whisper.
— You can. Dreams are like good guests. They come to those who leave a window open in their hearts for them. Close your eyes and imagine your teddy bear. Imagine that he is waiting for you on a small lawn — in blue shoes, because it is a little wet there from the morning dew.
“The blue ones?” Bohdan smiled.
"The blue ones," Mom nodded. "And go to him. Just think, 'I'm going.'".
Mom kissed him on the forehead. The kiss was warm and a little ticklish. Then she turned off the lamp—only the little star-shaped nightlight remained shining with a soft yellow light—and quietly left, closing the door so that it didn't even creak.
Bogdan lay in soft silence. He closed his eyes. He tried to imagine his teddy bear. At first nothing came out - just darkness and a few colored sparkles under the eyelids. But he wasn't scared. He thought further. He imagined a brown teddy bear with a slightly frayed ear, with a button instead of one eye. And blue shoes. Small, neat, with white laces.
And suddenly - he saw.
Not with your eyes. Even better than with your eyes.
A meadow spread out before him. Green, soft, like velvet. Droplets of dew shimmered on the grass, and each one shone with its own sun. Somewhere high up a lark sang. It smelled of warm hay and wildflowers. And in the middle of the meadow stood his teddy bear—in blue boots, with its paws spread wide for hugs.
"Bogdanchyk!" the bear seemed to shout without words. "I was waiting for you.".
Bogdan ran to him barefoot. The grass tickled his heels. He threw himself on the bear's neck, and they both fell onto the meadow, softly, softly, as if on a big pillow. They found a small checkered ball somewhere and threw it to each other. Then they lay side by side, looking at the sky. The clouds slowly floated and transformed - one became a dragon with a kind face, the second - a ship, the third - a basket of apples.
"How beautiful," Bogdan whispered.
The bear nodded. He held it by the paw. The air smelled of linden.
It is not known how long this dream lasted. In dreams, time is different, slower. Bohdan's eyelids simply became heavier, his breathing deeper, and the meadow warmer. And finally, he fell asleep in his sleep, resting his head on the teddy bear's fluffy barrel.
And in the morning he woke up. A ray of sunshine fell on his cheek. His first thought was: "Bear. Meadow. Blue boots.".
Bogdan ran into the kitchen in his pajamas, still warm from sleep, and poured it all out in one breath:
"Mommy! I saw it! I had a dream!"
Mom sat down, hugged him, and kissed him on the top of his head.
"You see," she smiled gently. "Dreams come to those who invite them. If you go to bed with a good thought, it will take you to the land of dreams. And there is always someone good waiting there.".
From that evening on, Bohdan always imagined something beautiful before going to bed. Sometimes — a teddy bear. Sometimes — a warm house with a chimney. Sometimes — his mother's hands kneading dough. And the dreams came. Each time more beautiful, quieter, kinder.
And today Bohdan is already fast asleep. The little bear in blue boots is waiting on the lawn. And you close your eyes. And go. Someone is waiting for you there too.
✨ Dreams come to those who invite them with good thoughts ✨