A Glimpse of Loss

Last night I had a dream that I was working as a nurse at a hospital. There was an acute nursing shortage and there were men there who had trained to be nurses as a secondary career, after the economy had made their original jobs not so lucrative. One of the men had been a detective. While we were working, a number of new medical students (young doctors to be) came onto our floor. They were all Daniel's age. (This must have been the future, perhaps nine or ten years from now, but I was the same age as I am now) Daniel was supposed to have been with them, but he was not, because he is no longer on Earth, and won't have this, and other opportunities. I felt the same deep sorrow and loss as I would have, had I been awake. If I create my own dreams for the most part, then why can't I create dreams with him or potential visits. Why do I instead create moments of sorrow and grief underscoring our loss ?