Invisible enemies

A new year has started and again I am forced to renew some of my plans and thinking. Often times though, I get so wrapped-up in self, thinking of my own plans, desires and ambitions that existence around me diminishes. My personal mission takes over every recess of my mind and Nazi Mom surfaces... getting everything in line, as it should be.

Busy as I was, organizing (one of my biggest new year's goals) and carrying my most ambitious plans to keep a tidier home, I caught a glimpse of my son. A second glance gave me enough time to watch him intently sitting on our wood floor looking out the front storm door. He was playing with a plastic alligator and a park ranger figure, making up some make-believe jungle adventure as boys are so skilled in doing. Our dog Roxy, lay still beside him, content to share in some of his space, just being.
At this moment, I was prompted to sit as Roxy did, next to my son and say nothing. My son looked at me...a few moments of silence ensued. I was blessed as he let me into his make-believe world, explaining that Alligator and Park Ranger were actually friends fighting invisible enemies in very dangerous jungles. Finally, his gaze fell upon my face his eyes moved to my front temple. I was reminded that my hair needs a dye-job and he was looking at the gray working itself out of my scalp. "Are you looking at my gray hair?" I smiled as he reached up to touch. "Momma's getting old." I said. "one day I will be a grandma like Abuelita (spanish for Grandma, my mother no longer with us). I wondered if this thread of thinking was leading him to think that if one day, if I too was going to be a grandma, then I too would die as Abuelita did. Heading off his thought process, I told him that one day I too would die and before I could finish my sentence, He said, " and you will be in Heaven with Jesus." A smile spread across his face, without any sense of loss or sadness. How beautiful... I thought... was his response to what most of us fear. His statement was so sure, without the slightest expression of doubt to my plight into the next existence. I hugged him as he hugged me back and told him that it would be a short while and I would see him too when he died and I would be waiting for him. I told him that I would be the one waving at him and jumping up and down to see him. "I love you Mom" he said.

Park Ranger and Alligator were glad to continue in their adventure against the invisble enemies of the jungle and I thought...Thank you God that you fight those invisible enemies that plague our time, drawing us away from what is real. Thank you that you gave me that snippet of time to share a 'real' moment with my 'real' son. Thank you Everett for that most precious moment.