I woke up this morning feeling very happy, because I had just taken a trip to Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, it was a dream, but I felt good having dreamt about it.
My family went to Yosemite at least once a year throughout my childhood, and even after we all grew up, my parents and their children and grandchildren visited Yosemite. We all called Yosemite our home away from home. It wasn’t just a place we went. Yosemite is engrained into us and (silly as it may sound) became part of each of us. My husband and I moved away from California 18 years ago, so I haven’t been to Yosemite since. I miss it.
So, you can understand why the dream made me happy. Throughout my life, I have not remembered too many of my dreams, but once in a while truly meaningful dreams have stuck with me and became memories, almost as though they were real.
I adored my grandmother. She died in the 1980’s, and I miss her still. For the first few years following her death, she would come and visit me in my dreams two or three times a year. They were such real dreams. We had a very large family (my mother was one of nine kids) and held many family gatherings. In my dreams, my grandmother would join us at one of these events. Strangely enough, in the dream, we all knew that she was dead and would not be able to stay. However, we also knew she would return again. So I always woke up from these dreams feeling as though I had a wonderful visit with my “Booba” (Yiddish for grandmother).
After a few years, she came to “visit” less and less often, and now she no longer comes to me in my dreams. Since that time, I have lost several other very close relatives – my two favorite aunts with whom I was very close; my father; my mother; and the most difficult loss, my sister who was my best friend.
In the paragraph above, the people I named died in the order I mentioned them. So the most recent was my sister who died in 2007, and I feel like it was yesterday.
Of all these relatives who I loved so much, only once have I dreamed about any of them. In one dream last year, I was at a big family dinner. My father was in attendance, but in the dream, I just saw him. He didn’t speak to me, and I don’t remember him speaking at all during the brief dream.
I am not a religious person. I am Jewish and proud to be, but I don’t really practice it. I know that many people who write here are devout Christians, so you likely will see my dreams differently than I. To me, my memories and dreams are not faith based.
I have, on numerous occasions, right before bed “spoken” to my sister, asking her to come visit me in my dreams. I have done so with my parents as well. As I said, my father “appeared” in one dream, but otherwise, none of my loved ones have come to visit me. I believe that if they did, it would bring me peace and happiness. I am not unhappy now, but their visits would make me temporarily joyful.
I would love to hear about some of your dreams. Have any of you had dreams like I have where a lost loved one has come to visit you?
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Comments
I so much enjoyed reading this, Julie. Dreams can be a wonderful gift and I have had a few that left me refreshed and joyful although I couldn't remember exactly what I had dreamed to give me that feeling. Thank for sharing this.
Merle, I cannot even imagine how painful it would be to lose a child. I am so sorry for your loss.
Thank you Merle and Terri & Fouzi for your feedback on this blog.
Thank you for sharing your lovely story. I lost a daughter 9 years ago and I am also still waiting for her to come and visit me either in my dreams or some other way. I know she is watching over me as I had her three daughters come and stay with me last summer and I didn't have any spare cash to take them out but the day before they arrived I had a win on the lottery. Just enough for me to enjoy them for a week. So it does come in other ways.
I can feel what you are saying Julie. When my father died on April 16, 2007 and not so long after the funeral. I saw him in a dream and it was so real and then I woke up he wasn't there. I miss my father very much because he was so good to me and we were so close. I love you daddy and I look forward to seeing you again when the resurrection happens as the Bible tells us. Thank you Julie for sharing your dreams and experience in the community. This just makes me know you better and I'm glad to know you. Shared via Syndication Automation and Google plus.