It sucks.
He was a married dad with a beautiful wife and a young child, yet he found himself haunted by persistent dreams of an ex-girlfriend from his college days. This wasn’t just any ex; she was the one who had captured his heart so long ago, the one who made him feel something he thought he’d never experience again. They dated during a time when he was still navigating the awkwardness of young adulthood, and it was a relationship that had ignited something profound within him.
During those college years, they faced the challenges of distance. She lived about 1.5 hours away, which meant their time together was limited to weekends. His weekends quickly became a ritual: he would drive to see her, cherishing every moment they spent together, filling the time with laughter, late-night talks, and the kind of connection that felt electric. But life had other plans, and when she transferred to a school far away, their relationship fell apart. She didn’t have the confidence to continue with a long-distance relationship, and they broke up, leaving him heartbroken but wishing her well.
Fast forward to the present. He met someone special—his wife, a woman he described as intelligent and beautiful, a true soulmate. They built a life together, filled with love and the joy of parenting their child. Yet, throughout their years together, he realized he never once dreamt of his wife. Instead, it was his college ex who continued to invade his subconscious, her presence lingering like an old song that he couldn’t quite shake off.
Just the other day, he had yet another vivid dream about her. In this dream, they found themselves back together, trying to recreate the magic they once had. But somewhere in their reunion, the reality set in: they both knew this wasn’t right. They had both moved on, yet there was an undercurrent of longing that brought them back to one another. As if the universe had conspired to thrust them together one last time, they shared a bittersweet moment. Then she texted him, her words sending shivers down his spine: “I know we need to go on our own paths, but I miss you so much.”
He woke up feeling a mix of emotions—confusion, sadness, and an inexplicable sense of loss. It was a dream that left him unsettled, forcing him to confront feelings he thought were buried. Why did he keep dreaming about her? Why couldn’t he shake off those remnants of an old love that had been replaced by a new life? Just as he felt happiness with his wife, those dreams were a stark reminder of his unresolved past.
He had tried to brush it off in the past. Many people have exes who haunt their memories, and dreams are strange and nonsensical; they don’t always reflect reality. Yet, twice a month, he would find himself navigating this familiar territory with his ex, even if only in his dreams. He often wondered if these dreams were an indication that something was lacking in his life, or if they were simply remnants of youthful feelings that never truly faded.
As he recounted the dream to himself, he couldn’t help but realize that what they had was special, but it was also a chapter that had closed long ago. He loved his wife deeply, and he cherished the family they had built together. Yet, the dreams acted as a surreal backdrop, reminding him of who he was before taking on the roles of husband and father. Was it possible to appreciate those past feelings without it impacting his current relationship?
He grappled with those thoughts for days, questioning whether the dreams signified discontent in his marriage or simply the natural ebb and flow of memories. In a world where everyone projected an image of perfect relationships, he found himself wrestling with his own truths, and it left him feeling a little lost, a little vulnerable.
He knew he needed to address these feelings, perhaps even share them with his wife someday. But for now, he was stuck in a confusing limbo of past and present, forced to confront the reality that love is complicated. Dreaming about an ex doesn’t inherently mean he was unhappy; it simply meant he had loved—and might still love—in ways that were complex and layered.
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