The boy sat quietly.
His mother, driving the van, hummed along with the country song coming from the radio.
Over the sound of the music, the mother heard her son say, "Mom. Do you think that there has been someone born on everyday - everyday, in the history of the world?"
The mother thought for a moment about this question, shook her head and said, "No. Thousands of years ago, when there weren't so many people on the earth, I am sure there were days when there were no people born at all."
The boy then said, "What about these days? Is there someone born every single day?"
The mother quickly shook her head and said, "Yes. There is a baby born in the world, something like every three seconds. That means there are thousands of babies born every single day," she looked into her rear view mirror at her little boy's face.
"Wow! he said."
"And," the mother went on, "I suppose that there are the same amount of people that die every minute - everyday."
The little boy stayed quiet and then said, "I find that extraordinary."
"What?" the mother asked.
"That so many people are born at the same time that there are people dying," he went very quiet again.
The mother smiled. "I agree - it is extraordinary."
"Death is kinda scary, isn't it Mom?" the boy spoke in a sweet voice.
The mother felt a chill race across the back of her neck. "Yes, it is, a little scary. But ... you know what makes it not so scary?" she waited to see what her son might say.
"Yes," he answered quickly, "Jesus."
The mother was very proud. "Yes - it makes it so much easier to accept death if you believe that you will be going to heaven to live with God. And ... heaven is supposed to be a million times better than it is even here on earth," she smiled at her son in the mirror. "Can you imagine that?"
The boy remained still and then he said, in the most confident voice, "Yes, I can. I can see it - in my mind."
And when the mother looked back in the mirror, she saw her sweet son with his eyes closed, his head rested back against the seat and a soft smile on his face. She thought to herself ... I'll just bet you can ... see it all very clearly in your mind.
Can you Imagine?