For me, I lost my grandpa. He always came prepared with advice, a joke or just a listening ear. Sometimes, when I hear certain songs, I think of him!

Hearing the song A Thousand Miles

              One day, I was listening to a song called A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. When she sang: 'Cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles if I could just see you tonight, it stopped me in my tracks and got me thinking about my Grandpa all over again. This brought a question to mind: how far is heaven? While the song played and I desperately thought and wished to have him back, something peaceful settled over me. I came to the conclusion that maybe heaven isn’t far away at all. Maybe it’s the love that we still hold in our hearts!

Having support through difficult times

              A week later, I went to church with my mom. There is a singer named Mary Kate whom I really like. For the Offertory, she sang the song King of My Heart. hearing the song got me thinking about my grandpa. He and I used to go to church together and he’d always sit beside me. at first, the music was overwhelming. as I listened to the song though, I thought: just feel, don’t conceal. As I let my tears fall, my mom held my hand. I also felt the presence of God reminding me that my grandpa was still with me in spirit. I have also been attending a grief group. The group meets the second Monday of every month from 6:00 to 7:30PM. I also have friends that I can count on to give me some support weather that is a listening ear, a pat on the back, a hug or a pat on the shoulder to let me know every little thing is going to be all right!

              Certain songs, memories or activities can bring up strong emotions of our loved one. I think that when these come up, we often feel trapped and don’t want to express our emotions. I believe there are two approaches that we can take: interpreting these emotions as negative or positive responses. We remember, celebrate and believe we will see them again in heaven! The love we share will always stay with us in our hearts. We don’t really know how far heaven is, but I encourage you to interpret heaven as a bridge: connecting us from our loved one. I believe 100% that our loved ones are looking down at us in smiling. I also want you to know that we always carry our loved one with us: no matter the things we share like our humor, our kindness and our passion to help others!