The Next Place

Every Thursday Grace goes to Story Hour at the public library. She is at daycare, and somebody picks the kids up and takes them there for an hour or so. I have no control over what she checks out there, and sometimes it's movies that we have at home, or VHS that we can no longer watch. But that's okay. She is being independent and having fun with other kids, learning to love reading. Two nights ago she got her books and sat on my lap. One of the books was called The Next Place by Warren Hanson. It was kind of an odd choice for a kid's book, as it was about dying and going to heaven. I started to read it to her. It was a beautiful book; very poetic and uplifting. It never said the words death or heaven, but talked of a place that will be better than this, how you will no longer have your body or your pain or imperfections or mistakes. The next place will be calm, familiar and serene. I couldn't help but think of my grandma. I started crying. I tried to keep reading. Grace looked at me, then reached over and took the book away from me before I could finish.

"Here," she said calmly. "Let's read this one instead." So we read a good one about Halloween and monsters.

I have thought about what happens to a person when they die. I am really leaning toward the idea that nothing happens. Our body just dies. But I know that energy doesn't die. I like the idea that each one of us has an energy force, an essence, or soul, if you will. I remember when my grandpa died. A few days later I was driving down the road and had a very strong sense, out of nowhere, that he was with me. It was actually more of a strong feeling of being comforted. That's the best way I can describe it. But where is my grandpa now? He's not in the box of ashes my grandma still has.

I also really like the idea that heaven is perfectly tailored for each one of us. My personal heaven might be drinking coffee in a coffee house, writing, talking to friends, Bob Dylan playing somewhere. But I don't necessarily believe it's true.

If it is, though, I bet my grandpa is watching birds...swimming in a river with his snorkel and flippers on. It's a nice thought.