My son was 4 when my mom died unexpectedly and violently. For months after that, he had horrible nightmares, every night. Most of them were about snakes that were coming in his window after all of us. He was terrified that he would get up in the morning and one (or more) of us would be gone just like grandma was all of a sudden gone (they were very close). He saw a counselor and all that and nothing was working. One night at the end of my rope, I told him that grandma watches over him at night and isn't going to let the snake get any of us. That night he slept soundly. When he got up he was so excited! He told me "The snake came and all then grandma was here and she threw it back out the window and told it to leave us alone forever!" He never had that nightmare again. I would love to know that she heard me and came to help me comfort my child who missed and loved her more than anything.