Funny how you wake up to a perfectly warm, sunny day and frolic in the pool, then get in an airplane for two hours and…poof! You are back to cold reality doing laundry and making school lunches and wondering, “was it all a dream?”

Justin collapsed into exhausted but happily contended sleep very shortly after we got home. And I am busy making sure everyone has clean underwear for tomorrow.

But also pausing a moment to reflect on the slogan at Give Kids the World. “Giving kids happiness that inspires hope.” I get that, and it is so true that laughter and fun and feeling special immensely lifts the spirits of chronically ill children. The Village offers every bit of kid happiness you can possibly imagine. They absolutely live out their words, inspiring happiness and hope.

I am so thankful they are able to do this for sick children and their families. It was a warm and wonderful experience.

But this is a temporal happiness. I can’t help pointing this out and feeling overwhelming grateful to be able to look to a hope in Jesus that reaches past our years on this earth and into eternity.

I always think about this after doing something really good. Because it always ends. Day after tomorrow, Justin will start another round of chemo. But, in Heaven, the goodness will never melt into pain, sickness, stress and just our plain old mundane duties. It will never end.

Today, at 30,000 feet in the air, Justin said, “Now we are closer to God, mom.” His very literal child mind sees God in Heaven somewhere really high above the clouds.

I smiled. “Yes. But not because of an airplane. You are closer to God because you believe He is here.”

This is Katie Pierantozzi, back to the grind and now eating lettuce only. Thank you for your support and prayers. Grace be with you, my friends.