Not Yet Prepared

I dreamt I was standing near an entry way awaiting Holy Mother Han's appearance. The door began to sparkle and as she emerged. She was radiant. Her secretary held her left hand as they both walked towards me. I realized with dismay that I wasn't properly prepared to receive Holy Mother Han—I didn't even have my socks on. As she approached, I frantically tried to put on one more sock, but it was too late. She was already standing before me, and I had to extend my hand. To my embarrassment, I was still clutching the dirty sock. Holy Mother Han looked at me with a gentle smile and said, "I've never held someone's hand who was holding a dirty sock," and chuckled warmly.

Throughout my dissertation writing, I carried this constant feeling of inadequacy in supporting Holy Mother Han's mission. The image of the sock in my hand sent chills through me when I awoke. Though the dream initially frightened me—this fear of being unprepared when meeting Holy Mother Han—ultimately became a powerful motivation, pushing me to work harder in my preparations.