A Journey To Heaven

"I can't take it anymore," Gloria screamed out in her mind. A wife and as a mother to two small children with all of their needs and demands, and with a part-time job to help pay the bills, the stress in her life was absorbing her.

"As much as I am grateful for all the blessings in my life," she told her husband Jack, "And as tight as our budget is, I have to get away by myself for a night. Can you support me in doing that?"

Jack faced his own demands at work and various other problems, but after hearing the desperation in Gloria's voice, he gave her a hug and quickly said yes. A day later, she was on her way, driving to a scenic spot about 200 miles from their home.

Along the way, Gloria stopped to do something she very much enjoys but seldom does as she pulled into a large outlet mall and shopped her heart out. She then returned to the highway, where she remained until pulling in to a scenic little Spanish style red tiled roof old Inn overlooking the ocean.

After checking in, Gloria walked among the many dark green pine trees and along a pathway through the wild flowers blooming in reds and yellows and purples until she reached the pearl white sands of the beach.

There she was captivated by the waves as they landed on the beach in a sea of white foam sending a salty mist into the air. As far out as she could see it seemed impossible to determine where the blue of the ocean met the blue of the sky other than for the billowy white clouds in the distance.

When Gloria finished strolling the beach, she returned to the Inn and took a hot shower. After putting on a thick white robe, she ordered a room service dinner and settled in for the night. Of course she called Jack, and after hearing he and the children were doing well, with satisfaction she hung up the phone and let go of the last of her cares.

After sleeping in for the first time in ages, Gloria awoke to the bright sunshine of the glorious day and just laid in bed and then lounged around her room. All the stress that only a day or two ago had seemed overwhelming had now been lifted from her shoulders and from her heart.

For the first time in weeks she saw her life as one of joy and fulfillment as she thought about her family and how much they meant to her. On her cell phone she scrolled through the many pictures of them and felt a warm glow inside.

Following a light room service lunch, she bade the old Inn goodbye and headed home, her heart filled with a sense of gratitude for a life filled with love and purpose as she looked forward to being with those who mean so much to her.

But also in this brief overnight journey, Gloria had rediscovered herself and liked the person she had grown into at this point in her life. She knew life could never be perfect but for now she was living in a little piece of heaven.

Dic