Where do we go when we die?

Where do we go when we die? This question has been asked by man since the beginning of time. Earlier this week Jake and I were having a discussion about my friend Travis who had recently passed away. This conversation took place upstairs while I was showing Jake one of the many secret uses for Scrubbing Bubbles. While we were spraying the tile in my shower with a newly opened can, the subject came up of a Balloon releasing ceremony that we were going to have for Travis. "Why are we doing the balloons Dad?" I explained to him, that Travis had not wanted a church burial and instead had chose to be cremated instead of buried. This is a lot for a 9 year old to understand, but I think the conversation went real well. "What happens to people when they die?" he asked. I answered, "Jake, I think that when people die, the spirit that makes them what they are, and who they are return to heaven, and the body is left behind". I could see by the look on Jake's face that he was really thinking this over. He paused from a moment looking at the floor of the shower and watching the residual bubbles float towards the drain before disappearing between the grate in the center of the stall. He looked up at me and said, "So when a person dies, they don't need their body anymore?" I thought about this for a moment, wondering how I should answer.... after a brief moment I asked him, "What do you think happens". Jake is a very thoughtful kid and can be a very serious and deep thinker at times. "I think that when people die they get to go to heaven and to live with Heavenly Father". As a parents, Kathy and I have always tried to teach our kids our beliefs, but it is also our hope that at some point in their life, something will click with them and they will begin to take the things that we have taught them and begin to formulate their own testimonies, beliefs and theories. Birth and death have always been a time for people to ponder the meaning of life, many people have gained a stronger belief when faced with the loss of a loved one, while others have lost their faith during these same circumstances. I have often wondered what I would believe about death if I had not been raised in our Faith. I would like to think that I would have the same hope that there is something more for us than just this brief time that we spend on earth. I fully believe that there is a God and after this life we will continue to live. The shower floor was spotless, the scrubbing bubbles worked like a charm, I had passed on one of my greatest cleaning secrets in the world to Jake, and he had given me some insight as to what type of person he is becoming. "Dad. Do you think scrubbing bubbles will work on my soccer cleats." I couldn't help but smile, I paused for a second, looked at him and asked "What do you think Jake".





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Here are a few photos from the Balloon Ceremony. This is a picture of Zach, Travis's son. I can't help but see Travis when I look at him.









Kathy and the Kids went with us. It was a nice day, the wind was blowing slightly and the balloons were popping almost as fast as we could blow them up. Travis would have found this extremely funny.

Mandy had the purple Balloon, This is her "why are you taking my picture again" look. I am starting to see a lot more of this lately.

This is Evil Steve's daughter. He is not really evil, it is just a nickname I gave him several years ago when he worked for me and had made me mad. The nickname just stuck.

The boys waiting to go home. Tim's friend Stevie spent the night, that means that he goes to church or any other family activities that happen on Sunday. (Including memorial services).

I am so glad that I actually got a picture of this. Tim loves to tease Jake, but when he gets busted he tries to pretend that he is really somehow trying to help him out. He loves to tease Jake, but is also a pretty good big brother to him. It is funny to watch these two together, they have a pretty close bond and the teasing is more playful than mean.