Just now, four-year-old Maddie, who was lying on the floor at my feet, looked up at me and asked “Mom, do you think the Lord (for some cute and comical reason, she always refers to God as ‘the Lord’) is doing a good job of looking after my brother and my grandpa?”
I hope so Maddie. I sincerely hope so.
I don’t know much about heaven. I don’t even know if I always believe that it is actually another “place” where people have any resemblance to what we know as people here and now. But I do know this… I like the thought of my dad hanging out with my son somewhere. I like to imagine them curled up on a couch somewhere having a nap together. I like to think about them looking for dandelions and frogs together. If I close my eyes, I can almost see Dad taking Matthew out to the heavenly pastures, putting him on the back of a horse, and leading him over the hills and through forest pathways.
Just giving myself permission to believe in this image gives me a little of the peace I need.