Gift Exchange

Date: 10/20/2017

Starting this dream journal with one of the most vivid dreams I’ve had in a while. I went to a holiday gift exchange with people I didn’t know well. I brought a $30 vase as a gift. The gifts were distributed in some fashion, I don’t remember how. Mine was largish and I opened it to find a squirming puppy and kitten, and a couple of high-end pet supplies. The puppy and kitten were a matched set in fawn and white colors. The dog was a pedigree Rough Coat Collie. The cat was an American Shorthair. They were disoriented and somewhat lethargic for most of the dream after I opened the box. I’d had no idea the gifts were supposed to have been so expensive and special. I was duly embarrassed and spent most of the rest of the dream feeling that way. I think this dream is a reference to a time when I was a temp in an office where there was a Xmas ornament exchange. I’d been to previous ornament exchange where the point was to bring the tackiest ornament and I thought this would be similar. I brought a cheap apple shaped ornament I’d had around. I got this beautiful Father Christmas ornament. I didn’t really have the decency to be mortified at the time, but I think back on the incident with horror. I was worried about how the animals would get along with the pets I already had at home, but these animals were both very mellow and got along with or ignored the animals in the house where the exchange was taking place. Later on in the dream, I was on a bed-loft with two MN friends one of whom, Julie I think, became sexually aggressive towards the other, and possibly towards me. It was fun at first but then I became pretty put out and flustered as did our other friend. I don’t remember how we got her to back off. This seemed to be at the same party, which may have been a sleepover.