Chocolate in Heaven!

I went to the funeral of a dear sweet family friend this evening. I didn't want to tell Ann Catherine I was going to a funeral because she is so sensitive to death after what happened to Melissa. So I told her I was going to see a good friend of Mimi's (my mom) and our family who was sick and was going to Heaven soon.

"Oh!" she smiled. "She's going to see Melissa!"

"That's right," I told her. Then she looked at me as if she were the adult and I was the child and said, "You know, Mommy, it's a good thing that she's going to Heaven. She'll see Toby, Melissa, and Mimi and Poppy's parents." Toby, by the way, is our neighbor's dog who died last year. My girls took it pretty hard. I agreed with her and wondered how my five-year-old was so much wiser than me at times.

She followed me into my bathroom where I began putting on my makeup. She pulled up a stool next to me and said, "I wonder if she'll see the big bubble gum machine when she gets there?"

"What?" I asked. I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Mimi's friend who's going to Heaven. I wonder if she'll see the big bubble gum machine when she gets there?" She looked at me bewildered, as if thinking, 'Seriously Mommy, how can you NOT know about the bubble gum machine in Heaven???'

I smiled and said, "Well, I didn't know there was a bubble gum machine in Heaven. What else is there?"

"A big chocolate factory," she said with a smile that took over her face.

I don't know what Heaven is going to be like, but how cool does AC's version sound?!

I decided I should remind AC of the real reason why we should look forward to Heaven. "Who else will be there?" I asked. "Jesus!" she answered.

Then she said, "Mommy, when I get to Heaven I'm going to find Melissa. Then I'm going to run to her and throw my arms around her and hug her and say, 'Melissaaaa!'"

I smiled at the thought of it. "I think I'll do the same thing," I told her.

And after we exchange hugs, Melissa will take us by the hand and lead us to the chocolate factory. What an awesome day that will be :)