Heaven is for Real

I know, I know, I have been so missing on the blog. It has been a busy, sometimes hectic, month. When we last "talked" I was headed south to LA to meet my sister-in-law and bring her north with me. And it indeed happened...what a great week. She came, we saw, we conquered. It's hard to imagine squeezing more into our time together. But as much as we did and saw, the most important time for me was our morning coffee time together, in jammies, talking and talking.

We thought and talked about my brother, her husband, who moved from earth to heaven four years ago yesterday, at a very young age of 58. Our family had time to say the long goodbye, and none of us would have wished him to stay with us one second longer than God planned for him. Yet we miss him every day.

His illness, later diagnosed as early-onset Alzheimers,began when he had an auto accident and sustained two severe blows to his head. Within six months, he began having short-term memory loss. At that time, now 14 years ago, there was no known medical link to head trauma and Alzheimers. I was blessed to represent our family at his memorial service, and one of my stories was that he was my first "baby" since I was nearly 9 when he was born. I practiced my mother love on him before I had any of my own to love.

It's not a coincidence, I believe, that last week I was given a copy of the book,"Heaven is for Real," written by Todd Burpo. It is a simple, short story of a little boy's trip to heaven and back, as told from his three-year-old perspective. It was a comforting, uplifting feeling to think of my brother now with so many family and friends, as well as his finally meeting his Savior and his God. My feeling of loss and tears disappear when I think of his joy and contentment, and new life.

His wife, my sister-in-law, has a new life as well. She remarried a year and a half ago, to a man we all love and respect. When I met him, one of his first questions of me was how I felt about having a new man in my sister-in-law's life. Up front, honest, strong--he's now a wonderful member of our family. I am happy for them both, that they found each other.

I am hoping others have read the book...if so, what are your thoughts? Did you find comfort, as I did, if you read it? But for today, for the record, I still miss my brother. And love him lots. This is in his memory, Jan

GO!

I will leave this morning for Southern California to have some Gramma time with Birthday Boy before he leaves to join the Fisher Boys in Idaho. He takes his last final for his summer school classes today and I think he'll be ready for some spoiling time. I'm really, really good at that. He will reciprocate by taking me to Nordstroms--how good a grandson can you want? His words: "I would love to do that, Gramma." Tonight we'll have dinner, and probably a back scratch will figure into the evening too.

THEN tomorrow morning my sister-in-law flies in. Are we excited? Oh yeah! Hunky Hubby says I am teetering on the edge of hyper-scheduling her time here. Okay, I agree. But (1) she's never been to the Central Coast and (2) it's my turn to treat and spoil her. One thing I know: we will have fun!

So off I go. It will be a while before I post again. You know, fun and all. I promise to share with you when I can but we plan to talk, shop, sight see, talk, shop, sleep when we have to. I hope summer fun is finding you too...Jan