Whenever any of us close our eyes and go to sleep, we dream. Dreaming is one of the few things we do that we have no control over. If we did, then none of us would have nightmares. But whether we like it or not – we all dream.

I have always loved dreaming. I dream very realistically. In my dreams, I see through my own eyes rather than see myself as a third person. In practically every one of my dreams, I feel and experience the texture of whatever I touch, the taste of whatever I eat – and even feel pain if it happens in the dream. So to me, my dreams seem pretty real.

When it comes to my dreams, I remember them very clearly after I awaken. I sometimes even remember them years later as if they were actual real events in my life.

One of the most vivid dreams I ever remember dreaming was right after my father died. I dreamt that I was sleeping in my bed and my father woke me up and told me that he was given one more day to spend with me because we never got the chance to say goodbye. So we went to Coney Island and we rode the rides and ate lunch at Nathan’s. At one point, we were on a ride and he asked me if I was having a good time. When I said yes – I woke up and realized it was all a dream – I cried for days.

For as long as I can remember, my dreams have always been this way. Another weird dream experience I remember was towards the end of 1998. For at least three solid months, I dreamt the same dream every single night. I dreamt that I went back to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina where I had spent a week that summer each and every night religiously. This dream became so repetitive that I would go to sleep knowing that when I fell asleep, I would “be” in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina.

Granted, not all of my dreams have been good ones. There are times I have had some horrible nightmares. One time, I dreamt that I woke up next to my first girlfriend and realized in my dream that the last few years of my life up to that point were all a dream – talk about your nightmares. I also have had dreams that I lost my job, caught my lover with someone else – and got killed. I will admit that as much as I love good dreams – I hate the bad ones.

But despite the nightmares, my dreams have always inspired me, reminded me – and enlightened me. They have been an excellent source of relaxation, meditation, education and adventure. While some of them may have been unpleasant, the majority of my dreams have been quite enjoyable. So whenever I head off to bed, I look forward to the wonderful world that awaits me when I close my eyes.

Sweet dreams.