Sunday, February 17, 2008

... for just a brief moment ...

"Nana ... when someone dies, what age are they in Heaven? How old is your mom there?"

We were at the cemetery this morning and youngest granddaughter B was cleaning my mom's headstone when she asked this question. In the dappled sunlight sparkling through the trees, her sister J trimmed the flowers we'd brought, poured the contents of the little flower food packet into the container of water and set the bouquet of colorful flowers inside.

"Well, B ... she's not any age. Age only applies to our physical selves because these bodies are born and they die. We're physically very temporary, so we count the years to measure the bit of time that we spend in a body.

Our divine selves aren't physical, though, so they have no age. In our true divine spirit, we are eternal, so there are no years to count."

J, being the older sister who knows these types of things, added that we don't have any gender in Heaven, either, because that's part of the physical body, too. No color differences, of course, since you have to have a physical body to have any color.

Age, gender, color, weight, nationality, job, bank account ... None of that matters, none of that lasts. Without our bodies, who are we truly in our deepest, purest, truest self?

We finished our clean-up, then knelt under the old tree that shelters Mom's plot and thoughtfully said our prayers, as the ocean breeze lifted our words to the skies.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heya sweets stuff!

Thanks for the award, gigglegiggle. I've been so darn busy that I haven't surfed blogs, emailed, etc... But this morning I made asparagus with lemon butter and a HUGE omlette for my family. There's just something about breakfast yanno?

BTW I love your picture, it's nice to see you finally.

Mercy xoxo

Rose said...

What a beautiful post, Rose. And a beautiful picture to go with it.

Rosalie

Sharon said...

What a beautiful way to explain this to someone.
Just so beautiful.

Arielle Lee Bair said...

I stopped by for a visit because I found a link to your blog on Rose's (Quilted Hills) blog. I read her blog often (we are blogger friends) and am happy to say I finally clicked the link that brought me here. I have very much enjoyed reading your recent posts, especially this post about your grandchildren and their conversation with you. So wonderful and so true. Thank you for sharing it all. I hope to stop by again soon.

:) Arielle

Anonymous said...

A blessed moment.

Anonymous said...

A blessed moment.

dec0r8or said...

Thank you, Rose, for this brief respite from "real life" and a moment of reflection on those I've lost.

dec0r8or said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

What a beautiful way to explain it, Rose. Thank you so much for doing it that way.

My second oldest, Becca, is dating an African-American man. She's the first in our family or her father's to ever do this...and it isn't going to go over too well with most of the relations, especially on her Dad's side. I told my mother about it, because I knew she would be okay. Her reply was much as your oldest granddaughter's was..."I don't believe we are really 'people'...we are Spirits in a body. Spirits have no color, or denomination or sexual preference. Spirits are judged on who they are, how they behave, how they believe, if they love, not who they love."

My Mom is the one who told my Dad's entire prejudiced family back in the early '70's that it wouldn't bother her at all if her little girl was kissed by a black boy. I sat on the counter and shined with pride in my Mom, standing up to that big family who all fussed at her...the woman who taught me to judge people by who they are, not what they are.

Something in your post reminds me of all that, and my beautiful daughter. Just had to share it and tell you how much I love coming here and being filled with your peace and beauty. Thank you, beautiful Sister.

Amber Cargile said...

You've painted such a lovely scenario...and offered proof of the connection of love across time and generations. Beautiful post.