A few weeks ago my
family and I were at Olive Garden celebrating what would have been my father’s
65th birthday. My 3 year old was excited to celebrate “Bampa Gim’s
birfday”. When we arrived, he was confused as to why Grandpa Jim wasn’t there.
(Let us not forget that my father died 7 years before my son was born). I
explained once again that Grandpa Jim was in Heaven, so we have to celebrate
his birthday without him. While still confused, he seemed to accept it and
moved on. Except to tell everyone he saw it was “Bampa Gim’s Birfday”. As we
were packing up to leave, he once again asked where Grandpa Jim was. I told him
he was in Heaven, to which my son cocked his head to the side and replied with
a smile “Go see him?!” I explained we couldn’t go see him because he was in
Heaven. “But, why Mommy, why?!” was his response. “Because when people go to
Heaven, we can’t see them anymore”. He paused for a moment, thinking and with
the innocence of a child he hit me with “Mommy, where Heaven at?” Thankfully he didn’t
notice my lack of answer and like all three year olds, he was easily distracted
by something shiny. Because I didn’t have an answer. Because I didn’t know where
heaven was at. It is a question I have been asking since the day my father suddenly
and unexpectedly died 10 years ago and one that was renewed when my mother
passed away 3 years later.
Last week Stephen
Hawking released new information regarding black holes. He hypothesizes that
black holes are not bottomless pits in which all matter is destroyed. Through
his voice synthesizer he stated “black holes might also be passages to other
universes – but with a caveat. Anyone who enters one wouldn’t be able to come
back to our universe” (ABC
News). I believe it is
possible then that black holes are actually passage ways to Heaven. That our
souls are not destroyed upon death, but in fact travel through space and time,
and with this new information, black holes serve as the doorways to Heaven.
I have found myself
thinking a lot about my son’s question the past few weeks. Trying to come up
with an answer that will satisfy his curiosity when he decides to ask me again.
Every night when I put my boys to bed, I tell them I love them to the edge of
the universe and back. When my son decides to ask me again “Mommy, where Heaven
at?” I will look him in the eyes and tell him, “Heaven is on the other side of
the edge of the universe. Black holes are just a short cut to the edge”.
