Nice story. My son was killed in 1984, I would have loved to find his picture on a billboard.
My husband had a dream in which our son said to him "don't worry Dada I'm OK" and then he smiled and was gone. I know a number of people who have been visited by the departed very soon after their death and saying they were OK.
I am very sorry to hear about your son.
My husband's elderly aunt died a few days ago. She was sitting with her daughter and praying. Suddenly, she called out, "Joe, Joe" and died shortly thereafter. Her brother Joe died about ten years ago.
Another lady I know called out the name of her departed husband right before she died. She reached out her arms to him.
I know what you mean. After his death, a friend frequently "walked" into my dreams to put his arm around my shoulders in the same old way, and I was always aware that he seemed extremely real, interrupting the storyline of the dream. After a couple of years, I had a dream where I was waiting for him to arrive, which was unusual. He finally walked in, put his arm around me and just said "Let me go". He has never walked in to a dream since, and I'm sure it's because he's gone on.
My sister's 23 yr old son died of New Onset Diabetes Mellitis four years ago on Feb. 16th. She had several experiences, the first a few weeks after his death in which he walked into her room and held her hand and said "mom, I'm good, I'm good". But he was not looking at her. He was looking out the window. Last November (2005) she was asleep in their basement room (which used to be her son's), and saw him standing over on the other side of the room. She said it felt so real as she got up and walked over to him and held both his hands. This time, he was smiling and looking at her and said. I'm fine mom, don't worry. She said she even kissed him on the cheek. I cry for joy for her every time I think of it.
blessings,
sneakers