“In the blink of an eye”…….I remember hearing this phrase during my childhood when someone was conveying to someone else their readiness and willingness to be somewhere quickly. Not long ago, I read a fascinating book by a woman who had an out of body experience over a hundred years ago. The fact that this book is still in publication an entire century after it’s initial release is nothing short of amazing.  The book was absolutely fantastic. In some ways , it was fantastical! Supposedly, it was a true story and the contents will take your breath away. The name of the book is “Within Heavens Gates” by Rebecca Springer. I bought several of these books after reading it, to give to people who may find it as interesting and rewarding as I did. Because I was born into a Swedish Lutheran family, I am very, very wary of what is coined “new age” spiritualism. I don’t want to stray too far from my Christian beliefs, so each time I am tempted to buy a book that writes of heaven, I usually research reviews beforehand. This book was positively reviewed by many Christian factions. I didn’t see any that said it was a bunch of “woo-woo”.  Besides, who among us humans have the right to question the miraculous powers of God anyway?

In any case, in the book, one of the things that happens as our spirits go to heaven is our ability to be anywhere “in the blink of an eye”. In other words, if you have a thought of someone or some place, and want to be there, then you ARE!  Amazing!

Because Al and I have moved locations so many times with his career advancements, we have met some of the most wonderful people who I still occasionally think about in the course of living my life. Despite time and distance, they are as present in my heart and mind as they ever were when we lived near them. An example is a tiny set of pewter swans that sit on my kitchen counter divide. Every single time I pick them up to dust beneath, I think of Al and Doris who gifted them to us over 30 years ago. Outside, we have a very heavy turtle shaped water sprinkler given to me from my friend Becky. I wonder if she knows that every time I hook it up to water my plants, it makes me think of her. These incidents bring to me my own kind of travel through time and space don’t they? My mind takes me to them, though they have no way of knowing this.

As I see birthday reminders pop up on my f.b. page, I think about how nice it would be to be able to zap myself across the miles into my friends presence to give them a birthday hug and maybe commune over a cup of coffee and dessert. I’ll see a picture of a good friend who is very sick, or struggling with a life challenge, and imagine myself with the ability to zoom myself into their presence to give them encouragement or maybe hold their hand. But, alas, I am only an earthly human, so this is not at all possible in the real physical sense at any time. However, wouldn’t it be a wonderful gift for people to know how often they are in my thoughts and in the thoughts of others?

I suspect that none of us fully know what we mean to others. We understand that we are loved by our spouse, our children, our grandchildren, and perhaps our extended family. But, wouldn’t we be surprised to see how we have touched the lives of others, if even in the smallest of positive ways? Due to Al’s career, I have had the opportunity to know a lot of people, and I think they would be surprised to know how often I feel a smile coming on when I think of them. Some of these people I haven’t seen in over 20 years. There are cousins I haven’t seen in 50 years!!!! Yet, in my precious and personal memory vault, there they all are, easily visited as often as I so choose. I think of a particular person in a memory I have preserved, and suddenly, there I am in their midst. I think this is why I enjoy my dreams so much. For example, last night I dreamed of my friend Terri and in my dream, Al and I had just moved to an area only a little distance away from her house. She and I were going about our day, shopping, laughing, and lunching. She was thrilled that we moved near her and so was I.  When I woke up, it was as if I had really spent the day with her. I remember how my Mother used to dream a lot in her elder years. Once in a while on our daily phone call she would say “Oh my goodness, did I ever dream last night! It was SO real, it was as if it were in TECHNICOLOR!” Ha! That word still cracks me up because even when she was saying the word, it had already been outmoded!

My friend Nancy, from northern Minnesota, had her birthday August 26th. If I had owned the heavenly powers described in the book I mentioned earlier, I would have zoomed right up there to ask her to go to lunch with me. My friend Ruth, from Sioux Falls, S.D. had her birthday yesterday and again, if I had those heavenly powers, I would have zapped myself to be with her as well, suggesting, “Let me take you out to lunch, dear friend!” My friend Becky has her birthday coming up mid-September. I wish I could fly up there for a day of hanging out, but I think she’ll be up near the arctic circle on a hunting trip with her husband. Wait a minute!!!! If I had heavenly powers, I could even zap myself up there to the top of the world, just as easily as any place else!!! No restrictions on heavenly spirits….. are there??? Earth bound spirits are another reality entirely!

Oh, and then there are the Granddaughters, Miss Claire and Miss Madeline! Emailing, texting, facetime, pictures all bring them straight to the center of my heart and my psyche’ where I can access them anytime I feel lonesome for them. Watching them grow up in person and by way of cyberspace makes us feel so much more a part of things. Wouldn’t it be grand to have those heavenly powers to beam ourselves in their midst any time we should choose? Well, both Al and I know we would be there all the time if that were possible.

Let it be known that if you and I have ever met or have ever enjoyed each others company, it is highly possible you have been in one of my random thoughts passing by.  It is highly likely a smile will light up my face just thinking of you. (Thinking of my U of M friend Sue who took tap dancing lessons with me when we were in our 20’s….now that REALLY makes me grin).   No matter how much criticism Facebook gets from its dissenters, I am glad my daughter signed me up. In her doing so, she put me in touch with many people I would likely have no contact with otherwise, only because it is not possible to stay in touch with everyone you meet. In this modern day of technology, we can now go to our cyber community center, known as Facebook, while sipping our morning coffee, or while sipping our evening glass of wine, and move about in the midst of our friends, finding out the most recent news, much like our Grandmothers did in the physical sense in another time and another place.

As Loretta Lynn sang in her old country song, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die”. True enough! I guess I will happily wait for those heavenly powers and content myself with the modern technology that evolves every single day. In the meantime, if you want a good read, check out “Within Heavens Gates”. Even if you don’t believe any of it to be possible, it is still an enjoyable, wonderful, “wish this could be true” journey. Have a great day everybody. Blessings to ALL I know!