I've found myself dreaming of her multiple times since her death.

The most vivid dream was just last night.

In it, I could hear her speak clearly, even though, in reality, she had struggled with Alzheimer's and would often repeat the same things over and over.

She was preparing 糍粑, the sticky rice cake. The aroma of roasted soybean flour was so realistic that I could practically smell it. She placed the freshly prepared cake on the table, and I eagerly began to eat.

Then, the dream took an unusual turn.

Suddenly, she began speaking to me in English, instructing me to complete some sort of task, explaining that if I did so, she would be able to "be reborn." The details were a bit hazy, but the experience had an almost mystical quality to it.

I think the idea of this "rebirth" might have been influenced by my having watched the film Heretic the night before. It seems my subconscious mind wove those elements into a vivid dream featuring my wife's grandmother.

It's strange to have these intensely personal dreamscapes involving someone I didn't know all that well. But the sights, sounds, and smells felt so vivid and real...