
Sharing a park bench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy…” – Simon and Garfunkle, Bookends
Advent Calendar Day 3: Old Friends
Welcome to the third day of the Dream Well advent calender! Today, I have a very special request – to write about “old friends” in dreams. What a wonderful symbol to find behind the window! Our friendships can define us. They can better us, and soothe us. Through our lasting friendships we learn compromise, we learn to give as well as receive graciously. So what does it mean when we dream about old friends? Is it just a feeling of nostalgia, or is it something more?
In previous posts I have written about other people in dreams, but when old friends appear, we can be sure that our dream is exploring something very meaningful. Old friends can symbolise a range of things, so we can start by looking at where the friendship started, or where it flourished and had a particularly strong and important stage. We can look at what lessons we may have learned at that particular time, and how those lessons may be important now. Are there common themes between that time and now? Did that friend offer a perspective, strength, support or insight that may be relevant today?
As well as looking at the time period of the friendship, we can look at the person themselves. If an old friend appears in our dreams, it can be a sign that we ourselves have adopted some of those qualities that friend has. What have you always admired and liked about your friend? Perhaps the time and friendship shared with this person has imparted a small part of their character to you. This is a marvelous gift! And it while the person in the dream is usually a reflection of our own inner selves, it would not be remiss to contact your friend and share what qualities you have identified as wonderful about them. They are likely to appreciate it, and your depth of understanding both about the dream, yourself and your friend are likely to increase.
These are all unique aspects of the dream that only you will be able truly understand. But we can add a further layer to the theme of “old friends” in dreams, and that is to consider a far more general concept of the passing of time, and a shared journey. Are there aspects of your own self you are making friends with, that perhaps you have battled with, or rejected in your younger years? Are you making a certain peace with yourself? Life passes by so quickly, and we can get distracted with so many things. But true friendship lasts through-out the years, and despite what changes and challenges life throws at us. Is this a dream encouraging you to stop and take note of what is most important in life? Old friend dreams come when we feel nostalgic, when we are questioning our age, our wisdom and the passing of innocence. Old friends in dreams bring up themes of longevity and continuity, of loss and compromise, of sharing, loyalty and the bonds that tie us.
Old friends in a dream remind us to appreciate the passing of time, to value our memories as well as our present. The life we are living today will become our memories of the future. Old friends in dreams urge us to love ourselves for who we really are, just as they do. They encourage us to be the best we can be, they offer love and support and sometimes great advice. But above all, old friends in dreams offer us acceptance. And that is one of the most wonderful gifts of all.
You may also be interested in these posts:
The meaning of Loved Ones in a dream
The meaning of a Fireplace in dreams
Time travel, grace and synchronicity

I had a dream that my current school took a trip to my old school in a different state (my new school is in Pennsylvania and my old one is in Washington). I went to a computer and looked up an old friends name and I found him but he looked diferent. I found him sitting on a bench and I wrote a note that said my name then my phone number then I wrote do you remeber me Aragorn? We used to be best friends.Do you remeber the Imagination game? Then I crumbled it up and he looked at me and I threw it at him but missed then woke up.
I was on a trampoline and I did move schools but they where there and didn’t care about moving and then my friend came .I don’t know how they just played no deal then a person that I don’t know appeared there we playbed tag then i woke up
I had a dream about an old friend that I really don’t hang out with anymore because my parents didn’t like them and they don’t really hang out with me at school maybe cause I act very shy at school or maybe cause I’m a girl and they are a boy. In my dream I saw them and got in a conversation with them they acted way more mature then that actually are. It was weird they also explained why they were avoiding me which somewhat didn’t make sense cause some stuff they said really never happened but didn’t really realize this till the dream was over. The conversation lead to a picnic .-. I don’t really know how I made the food probably cause I’ve been practicing my cooking skills. I was surprised when they complemented me on the food. After that I noticed them writing in there diary I didn’t look at the text but when they turned the page the book became very box like and a pony, from my little ponys was in weird enough. I asked them why they had it and their response didn’t make sense at the slightest. They said cause they don’t like my little pony. I mean they always did have a habit of lieing but I very remember them liking such things. After that we went to the store to get pocket book this had something to do with the pony I guess. Anyway the dream ended after that can someone plz explain this to me???!!!
i had a dream that one of my old friends who i dont talk to anymore was sitting on my bed with my cousin and was talking to me as if we never stop speaking.. and i gave her some weed to smoke and left and told them i will be back and i wenbt to my boyfriend house where i caught him cheating on me with another girl .
I keep dreaming of 2 of my childhood friends. In real life I inconsistently keep in touch with one & hardly ever with the other tho she recently rediscovered me & invites me to her family events which I never attend.
My dreams always involves me traveling by bus (as I did in my youth) to their house. We sometimes travel together or sometimes I’m making my way to their house alone. I’m assuming these types of dreams basically mean I miss my friends & probably would visit them, yes?
I odten have dreams of my cousins. In waking life I have 5 female cousins. 3 are older 4th one is my age & one younger one. All but 2 own there own businesses. They don’t live in my state anymore & we’re not overly close. In my mind, they are much more successful than me or my siblings.
My dreams about them are fairly often & similar in nature. I’m always interacting with the 3 that own there own businesses. My question is , am I dreaming of them cuz I’m envious or cause I want to be like them (I DO want to work for myself) or is there something more to it?
So my friend jeniffer well we never talk and she forgot all about me she doesn’t care about me anymore really but we had something special in our friendship I can feel it in the dream I went to her house and we had fun playin together but that’s never happened I would like to but back then I had no device to talk to her and now we can’t talk so that made her forget about what we had in our friendship 🙁 😪😥
And we used to be best friends also I forgot to mention that I’m just so sad that were just friends now
I had a dream of an old friend that I don’t remember or recognized. I was told that she is an old friend from when we where teenage.
I had a dream about I was dating a old guy friend that I don’t like anymore. What do I do?
Thank you…