Exactly, LH. All the rest is mystery.

I have known people who have prophetic dreams, usually, but not always, forseeing the death of a family member who is not ill or otherwise infirm or extremely old. For example, a friend's mother is prone to dream of the death of family members 6 to 8 weeks before they actually die. (What a burden!) Her oldest daughter, otherwise seemingly quite healthy and robust, died at age 18 from an acute appendicitis attack before she could reach the hospital. The mother dreamed the daughter was killed about 6 weeks before. The mother had been frantic during that 6 weeks because of prior experiences of dreams correctly predicting imminent death of other family members. I have no reason to doubt the mother's experience. I am certain there is an explanation, but what that explantion may be is a complete mystery to me.

On another thread, several months ago, I shared an experience I had immediately after the death of my sister where I 'felt' her consciousness move through my mind like butterfly wings, communicating "Janie, it's beautiful. I don't know why I was so afraid." Maybe that was a communication from the otherside of death. Maybe it was a stress induced hallucination. I don't know and neither does anyone else. That experience is a mystery.

LH, maybe the dreams you and your mother have about your father indicate he is still around. Maybe they indicate that both of you are still working through issues around how his workaholism made him unavailable and unreachable in life, and here he is, still unavailable in death. One explanation may be as plausible as the other. Maybe they both ,if provable, would turn out to be true. If one works best for you, then go with it. Belief is not synonymous with fiction or fantasy. But it is also not synonymous with fact or truth.

And, I did not know you lost your father this spring. My condolences.

Janie