Out of the mouths of babes

In the series finale of the television show Frasier, Frasier Crane says his goodbyes before he flies away to a new chapter in life.  He says his farewells, gives his hugs, and receives best wishes from his closest friends and family.  Then he comes to his brother Niles, played by David Hyde Pierce, whose performance as Frasier's pretentious brother is considered by many the reason the series became a smash hit.  One constant set piece for the show was the two brothers discussing various topics over coffee in a local Seattle coffee house.  As Frasier moves toward Niles in that last episode, Nile responds with a simple statement that summed up the mood of fans everywhere: "I'll miss the coffees."

When our second oldest gets married and moves out, and when the other boys move on in their own times, I must say that sums up my thoughts as well.  Our family has had many adventures, many ups and downs, taken trips, built traditions, enjoyed vacations, attended sporting events and concerts, watched movies and shows, and played a million games together. But when all is said and done, and my wife and I turn back to our empty nest, I admit more than anything else, I'll miss the coffees.  That is, our endless talks and conversations over the years.  

Sometimes we went off topic during prayer time.  Or we began rambling on during dinner.  Or we prattled on if we were in the van together traveling from place to place.  Or sometimes we were just chilling after a long day and began a conversational stream of consciousness that could take us from Mario Brothers to the Battle of Jutland to the filioque clause to gay marriage to the tonal differences between Aliens and Terminator 2 to the proportional influence of Chuck Mangione compared to Bach, to looking into Nietzsche's abyss, to the benefits of organic vegetables.  It didn't matter.  The sky was the limit when our conversations reached the tarmac.  Sometimes we watched hours go by, and everyone - even our youngest - would offer his or her two cents worth, before the talks wrapped up.

Which brings us to the point.  We don't have the full family talks as often now owing to life's obligations. When we do, sometimes it is shorter, with commentary from this or that son following a day or so later.  After we had a hefty discussion about the lack of emphasis on the hereafter in our modern society, and why we need to recapture that within the faith, my youngest came to me to offer his take. He mused on the role our material obsessed culture has in distracting us from the invisible part of Creation.  He thought for a few about what heaven must be like, as well as the alternative.  Then he gave his thoughts about all the things people want today rather than the important things of God and loved ones. 

He said heaven must be where there is nothing to own, but we have God and all of our loved ones to spend eternity with.  Hell must be where you have everything you ever wanted to own, but nobody around to spend eternity with.  Not to downplay the great theologians or doctors of the Church, but I'm at pains to think of a more poignant image of our eternal options.

I'll let Rod Serling take it from here (an episode we've watched that might have inspired his thinking):