Heaven

I love-

A good rain storm

The sound of the wind blowing though a willow tree

Watching children play

The sound of my wife’s laugh

Animals

And- Knowing that I made a difference

There are many things I love. And truth be told, there isn’t much that I don’t appreciate. We all have been through some storms. And some storms consumed some of us. What made us a skillful sailor? Turns out, it wasn’t the skill at all. It was the attitude about the storm. For when we returned, we appreciated every little thing in our lives. We loved the fact that we beat the odds, and that the odds didn’t beat us. We saw each sunset as a reward for still sailing.

Life is going to throw some curve balls at you. And some of us have been hit so many times, that we stop noticing the beauty {of the experience.} But it’s a trap. There can be a beauty to pain. A blessing in the burden. We just have to be open to it.

In the 35 years of mental health service that I have provided, the dying taught me how to live. The sad, taught my why to laugh. And those who couldn’t, well, they taught me why I should.

Yeah, you can wait your whole life to go to heaven. Or, you simply can open your eyes, and realize that you’re already there.