First Phone Call from Heaven

by Mitch Albom

life is not a board game, and losing a loved one is never really “starting over.” More like “continuing without.”

“Fear is how you lose your life . . . a little bit at a time. . . . What we give to fear, we take away from . . . faith.”

“You won’t stop calling me, will you?” “Don’t be afraid, Dad. . . . The end is not the end.” The line went dead. The end is not the end. Jack felt tears falling, but he did not wipe them away. The tears were part of the miracle too, and he wanted to keep both around as long as he could.

“Diane, what about these other people?” “They have their blessings. . . . But God has blessed us, too. We are together so you can heal . . . Knowing heaven . . . is what heals us on earth.” Katherine repeated the words to herself. Knowing heaven is what heals us on earth. “Am I the one? Have I been chosen to spread the message?” “Yes, sister.” The words left Katherine serene. Amy, on the other hand, grew more agitated by the day.

“It’s true,” Katherine said. She smiled, closed her eyes, and placed her other palm over their joined hands. “There is life after this life.” Ben’s mouth fell slightly open, and he inhaled weakly. Then he smiled. Amy, standing behind her camera, smiled too. She’d been filming the whole thing. No other station had this angle. There is life after this life.