Cartas al Cielo

I had the privilege of walking through Avalon Park, a place I have been to often,  with my son Luke after the snow storm one year.  I thought that I knew every inch of the hiking trail, but apparently not.  You see, Luke has the same passion I have for the outdoors and a passion to take the road less travelled.  As we hiked up the trail, to the higher elevation “stopping grounds,” he asked if I had ever been to “Cartas al Cielo.”  I had no idea what the name meant, but the very name fascinated me, so off we went.  I was familiar with most of the trail until the road diverged.  As Luke and I were talking he stopped saying not a word.  I wanted to know why we had stopped and in doing so,  I lifted up my eyes and there it was!  A sphere…one that beautifully reflected the light and mirrored everything around me.  I was in awe.   I stood there for a few minutes trying to understand its purpose…why was it there?  When I approached it, I noticed that there were 3 words inscribed on it, “Cartas al Cielo.” As I looked closer the sphere had a small rectangular opening, a sort of mouth, that was built into its beautiful frame.  “What does Cartas al Cielo mean,” I asked Luke.  “Letters to heaven,” he replied.  He then walked me over to a wooden upright box that had postcards and pencils in it….postcards that could be written on and mailed to heaven.  We spent a few quiet moments reflecting on those who had died and had gone to heaven…a few minutes writing notes to them; and then we both quietly walked over to the opening in the sphere, released our notes and stood gazing at our reflection as the sun’s last warm rays broke out upon us.   Letters to heaven…a moment of heaven here upon the earth.  I would have never found it, had I not let my son take me on the road less travelled.  Luke has a way of doing that…