At the KOA in Abilene, Texas, my oldest son was sitting on the porch swing chattering away as I cooked dinner on our little propane grill. If you know us at all, you know that the boy can go on and on and on and on for hours. Sometimes I wonder if he’s even taking a breath, or if he’s adapted to talk without extra oxygen. You know, akin to the way Kevin Costner adapted to life on the open seas in Water World?!

Anyway, the boy was talking my ear off. I think it might have been bleeding. He talked about Star Wars, DS games, the KOA’s pool, the tether-ball that Austin broke at the KOA in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and more. I don’t know how but the conversation drifted over to lost souls, but somehow it did and we began talking about his Great Grandmother, Rachel Greer, who passed away a couple of years ago. He was telling me that he really misses her, and Baby, our 17 year old Peek-a-Poo that died exactly a week later. We chatted together about how lovely it must be in Heaven, with Rachel Greer sitting on a porch somewhere and Baby by her side. Then I had this epiphany to express to my son in words he would surely understand, how wonderful Heaven must be. I said “son, did you know that in Heaven, you can talk all you want, and someone will always be listening?”

He sat quiet for what seemed like forever. I don’t think he’s ever been that quiet unless he was playing a video game or sleeping. Actually, he even talks while he sleeps sometimes. Wait, he also talks while he’s playing video games. So yeah, that moment of silence was something to behold. It was so long that I had time to wonder what was going on in that marvelous little brain of his. Was he contemplating a fast track to Heaven? Was he planning a conversation with his Great Grandmother? Finally, with the most serious look on his face he said “Well Mom, I guess I’ll have to be careful not to say any bad words in Heaven.”