Same with me!
I am going to share something the brings a bit of emotional pain, but am sharing it to emphasize what you said about there being many types of dreams, Debi. I have an adult daughter who suffers from mental health issues. She had a child, about ten years ago, whom protective services took away from her. I offered to take her, since it was my first grandchild, but because of statements that my daughter made, the state refused to let me take her. The statements weren't true, of course. So, it broke my heart to see my granddaughter given to strangers. The couple couldn't have children, and were overjoyed to take her. I grieved for a long time about that! The adoptive mother was very friendly at first, and sent me frequent emails and pictures. And then, gradually, the emails and pics stopped, because the woman had remarried and had a second child, and was just too busy to keep me updated.
But something strange started to happen. My granddaughter began appearing in my dreams. But they didn't feel like dreams; each time, she would arrive in a car, driven by a woman that I didn't recognize. Her reactions to me were as if she were really meeting me for the first time; at first she would be shy and stand offish, then she would start to sit near me, always gazing at me with eyes that were wise beyond her years. Each time, she would be a little older, just as she would in real time. Once there was a dream where we were all at a beach, and she came and sat by me, sharing some sea shells that she had picked up. Her adoptive mother's face was always a blur in these dreams. After that dream, I received an unexpected email from the adoptive mother, saying that they had all moved to California, and that frequently visited the beach. These "visit" dreams continued until she turned seven years old, then after one more dream, they stopped. Although I found them bittersweet, I always cherish them because I felt that my grandchild was actually visiting me on the astral plane.