When Heaven Spoke

1. We were discussing their lives and deaths outside, under the summer's night sky, when the first sign appeared.  I was actually in the middle of asking, "I wonder if they are closer than the stars are?" when a shooting star flashed through the dark.  It was to our left- and it wasn't the brightest thing ever- but since we both saw it, we knew it was real.

I was so excited that I jumped out of my seat, blanket still slung around my shoulders. I kept saying, "that was your sign" over and over.  He smiled, but wasn't totally sold on the validity of the shooting star.  So I sat back down and our conversation continued.

2. It was the second shooting star that had me really believing that something greater than us was listening.  It was right in front of us, too; a small, bold strip lighting up the sky for a quick moment. I told him, "That was her saying, 'I told you it was me.'"  He admitted that it was definitely weird and I smiled for a long time.  I was fully convinced now.  In all my years of living in this state, I'd seen a shooting star once.  So twice in one night?  That was magical all on its own.  But he just said, "If I see a third one, then I'll believe it."

3. The third shooting star was illuminated for a longer period of time than the first two- and it glowed far more intensely.  And while the other two traces of magic(?) heaven(?) other-worldliness(?) were visible enough, this was completely different.  This one was directly in line with our horizon, starting on the left and scanning the entirety of it, ending on the right.  We shot out of our seats and started gathering our things.  "That's weird" and "That's enough" were said again and again.  We stepped inside to process what just occurred.  Because this was reality- not some dream or fictional story.  Just like these people had been, this was real.

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I've always believed in some type of afterlife- because, otherwise, I've just never seen the point, you know?  But having people I knew/cared about pass amplifies that tenfold.  Because they changed me in some way and they were kind and funny and genuine and, most of all, deserving of more time.  And to believe that it all just ended for them- that's something I can't bear to imagine.  And so I have to believe that they are somewhere greater.  A place where there is no pain or hurt or shame.

A place where there is no death.

It is a place with sunshine and sunsets and laughter and music and friends and joy and peace and books and fuzzy blankets and art and beaches and magic and love.

A place where there are shooting stars.

-Jordan xx

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