A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM BRENT'S SON TO US 2006

I was reminded this Christmas season of an old saying I heard years ago that goes something like "when one door closes, another opens but sometimes we look so long and hard at the closed door we never see the new one that has opened". The opened door came to me this year through the words of a five year old boy named Daniel L. Adams.

As Daniel was happily playing with his new airplane gliders he suddenly announced that incoming mail was coming via the plane. He asked us if we could read Alien to which we replied no and so he stood proudly with his "letter" and began to read. It’s from Daddy he announced and without any hesitatation began to read his letter. I love you, I miss you, I’m sorry I had to go away but I got shot and had to go to heaven. A few minutes later another letter came via the glider this too from Daddy which he read – I’m sorry we have been broken apart for a while now, I miss you very much. Later that evening as Daniel lay on the sofa he said softly – Daddy is talking to me. We asked what is he saying to which Daniel replied "can’t you hear him?" We said no. He told us Daddy talks to me all the time, he says "It’s all right Daniel" "I’m in heaven with God and I’m an Angel with a blackbelt helping God".

I realized at that moment the best gift I was given this season was not something wrapped, not something bought, - it was this gift – this moment in time. The peace that came over me with the realization that Daniel was not looking at a closed door but through an open one was just what I needed. AND for a brief moment in time I saw the open door.

Merry Christmas to you in Heaven Brent – apparently you have received your blackbelt which I am sure means that you have graduated to the highest level of Angelhood.