Dreams

I have always had a very vivid and realistic dream life.  My Dad always used to laugh and roll his eyes when I relayed any dreams I'd had as a kid (not Mum though as she also has lots of dreams and can recall them perfectly like I do). 
My husband now laughs and rolls his eyes at me when I am telling him - in detail - what I've dreamed each night.
Anyway...Man, did I have some mega weird dreams last night.  The one that stood out most however was one where a friend of mine (who passed away in a tragic accident a few years ago) was at a gala day that we were attending.  There was absolutely nothing scary or "fearful" about the dream, if anything it was really exciting, to see him again looking awesome as ever and totally calm, like he hadn't been gone from our presence at all.  I was so thrilled to see him I took out my camera, and took a whole heap of pics of him...just clowning around, leaning on a tree, being a big goober and having lots of fun. 

It's not until I think about it now, that I realise although we were interacting (in the dream)...we were not talking, ..... at all.  It was just "hanging out" together.  And while we we weren't talking, I was pretty excited, almost overwhelmed that he was there...within reach..and my heart really was happy.
I remember looking around, hoping that some of his family were also at this gala day so I could "show him" to them.  More photos were taken, and then he just disappeared into the crowd.  No goodbyes, no hugs nothing...just "whoosh" gone.
My heart ached...really really ached, but I excitedly pushed the button on the camera that displayed (on the LCD) the pics I had taken.
...................Nothing.................
Well..there was a tree.....and people in the background,  there was everything, but my friend was very much absent from all of the pictures.
I woke up pretty much around this time............happy to have spent some time hanging out with my very missed friend, but also very sad that it had been a dream.
It was the first time that I'd dreamt about him.

 I usually have this kind of dream about my Nana Larkins, though I usually wake up crying from missing her so terribly......my pillow in a right wet state.
I wonder if dreams like this are our little reminder of how special and loved our friends/family who have passed on, were/are to us?  Does anyone else have dreams like this?