Maggie's Discovery - July 22, 2010

    Maggie stared at me in dismay, "How can you believe in that?"

    "Believe in what?" I replied.

    "In heaven. You said my mom's in heaven, but how do you even know that there is a heaven?"

    Maggie's dark brown eyes stared into mine so intensely that I had to look down, "Well...you just have to have hope...you know...have faith."

    She pressed on, "Faith?! Faith in what? Some mysterious land where everything is perfect? How can that even be possible?"

    "Well what do you believe?" I asked trying not to scream, "Do you think when your mother died her soul just disapeared?"

    Maggie's eyes got watery while tears began to flow down her face. "I don't know...I just don't know," she barely whispered while her head was down in her hands.

    I just sat there next to her and rubbed her back, while she sobbed. Maggie had been my best friend since fourth grade when I first moved to Arkansas. We were going to be Freshman in high school this year. Maggie was tall with dark brown eyes and hair, while I was short with blonde hair and blue eyes. We seemed to have diffrent opinions about everything, but for some reason we were the best of friends.

    When Maggie stopped crying she looked up at me and asked, "Stacy, how can you believe in this with so much ease? I want to believe, but it's just so hard..."

    "Maggie, I've prayed. I've prayed a lot lately. When I found out your mom had cancer I prayed for her every night; when things got harder for you mom I prayed harder. Then your mom died...and I thought, If there is a God, why would he let this happen? Then I had an overwhelming feeling in my heart that your mom was in a better place. The instant I felt that burning in my chest I knew for a fact that your mother didn't just die; she moved on, to a place where all her pains and ailments had gone away..."

    Maggie began to shake, as if she was shivering, even though it wasn't cold.

    "I'm sorry... I'm sorry," I said

    "No... I feel it."

    "Feel what?" I asked.

    "Like my heart is on fire," she scooted close to me and gave me a hug while her tears wet my shoulder, "I know it's true. There is a heaven."

    -Marie