Nightmares

I've always experienced very vivid dreams.  I'm surrounded by familiar people and places in full color, and I always second guess that it happened when I wake up.  It really creeps me out.  In college I would take naps in the afternoon and have dreams that would rival a drug-induced hallucination.  Usually I really enjoy my dreams though.  Sometimes I can run super fast, or fly, or even see family members again who have passed away.  I consider it a little gift from God that I can spend time with these people again.

However, this gift has felt like a curse lately.  I'm having nightmares that are sending me into a panic and causing me to wake up in a cold sweat.  Last night I was reading before bed and fell asleep for about 30 minutes with my bedroom light still on.  I dreamed that I was watching a DVD at my parent's house and the movie kept changing to reveal another rotting dead person on the screen.  I wanted to turn the movie off, but the girl on the screen wouldn't let me!  I was screaming for my mom (like a scared 5 year old) but no one heard me.  Again, it wouldn't be that bad if I didn't feel like I was actually there!  When I woke up, I realized I was completely alone in MY house and I was fine, but then I was too freaked out to sleep.  When I finally did go back to sleep, I started dreaming the reoccurring theme that has been popping up lately.  I'm having wedding nightmares.  I used to do this before a big event like prom or graduation.  I think I panic that something will go wrong, and my anxiety comes out in my dreams.  Last night I dreamed that I was having a destination wedding on an island.  I was trying to do my own hair and nothing was working out.  My mom ended up styling my hair and it looked ridiculous.  Then Steve and I got married right in the surf and my dress was completely ruined.  We didn't have a photographer either, so again, my mom took pictures which turned out horrible.  After the ceremony, Steve took off to hang out with his friends and I was left alone.  I went back to the hotel to change into regular clothes and ended up going to my reception alone.  A little later, I tried to find my hotel room again to see if Steve was there, and I ended totally lost in a huge gift shop or something.  SO WEIRD!  Does this happen to other people?  All I know is, I get married in 78 days so hopefully after that, my dreams will go back to normal.  You know, like when I can fly and stuff...