My dad turned exactly 100 years old last October. He now lives in the nursing wing of a senior residential facility in Massachusetts. My mom is able to visit Dad every day. Recently, when she stopped by his room, she found him sound asleep so she sat down beside his bed to read until he awoke. Moments later, Dad stirred and Mom looked up to see a large smile emerge on his face. He said a single word: “Wow!” Then he went back to sleep.
A few more minutes passed and again Dad woke up briefly, long enough to smile and say, “Wow!”
Then he closed his eyes and went back to repeat the cycle a third time. After hearing him say “Wow!” once more, Mom spoke up. “Just what is it that you see?”
Dad’s answer was simple: “Heaven.”
I don’t know just what it was my father saw as he snoozed in his bed that winter afternoon, but his “Wow!” is enough for me to know that Heaven is real and that it is beautiful. One day I will see it for myself. What about you?
