A Dream of Heaven

I had a dream. A dream about heaven.

There were no pearly gates, no fluffy white clouds, no angelic choirs. It looked like everyday life.

And yet- and yet, there was something different. There was fighting. Disagreements were gone. Everyone was happy. The world was not that different from our life today, but it was so much better. Perhaps the worst of humanity had been removed. Perhaps we had our worst desires, our most destructive tendencies neutered. But for whatever reason, it was glorious. And every person I met, they were exactly who I needed. They fulfilled the role I most desired- when I needed a friend, that was who I met. When I needed a teacher, someone who could teach was there. But not only that. I was exactly who each other person required. My friend needed solidarity. My teacher longed for fulfillment. They made me happy, but in equal measure to the happiness I gave them. We enriched each other’s lives, and it was paradise.

And so that is my dream. I have heard it said that hell is other people. But that dream has led me to believe that the opposite is also true. Heaven comes from other people, too.