“I’ve waited so long for you, my children,” I said, gazing upon the two small faces illuminated by the glow of the campfire. Their wide, innocent eyes sparkled with curiosity and awe as they watched the dancing flames. “You will inherit my kingdom, and I will dwell in you and with you forever.”
My daughter, her hair a wild tumble of curls reflecting the fire’s light, tilted her head to one side, a serious expression on her young face. “What do you mean, Papa?” she asked.
My son, older by two years and wiser than his age should allow, sat quietly. He seemed to understand the weight of my words. He was a mirror image of me at his age – dark hair, clear blue eyes – but with a wisdom that came from his mother.
“I mean that one day, all of this,” I spread my arms wide, encompassing the sprawling landscape that lay beyond our campfire’s light, “will be yours. You will be its guardians and its keepers.”
“And you’ll stay with us?” My daughter’s voice was small against the backdrop of crackling fire and chirping night creatures.
I nodded. “Always. I will always be here in the way you see me now,” I gestured at myself, “I will always be with you.”
“How?” she asked.
“Through the love we share,” I replied. “Love doesn’t disappear when someone is no longer there physically in this world. It stays with you – in your heart, in your memories and you will join me with a new body in heaven. That love is a part of me that will always dwell within you.”
She considered this for a moment before nodding her understanding. My son remained silent, but his eyes spoke volumes.
The conversation lapsed into comfortable silence as we watched the fire dance and spark. My children would grow up strong and wise under my guidance. They would inherit my kingdom – this vast, beautiful land – and I would remain with them in both body and spirit, guiding them through their love for me and for the kingdom.
In that moment, under the starlit sky with the fire crackling and my children beside me, I felt a sense of peace. I knew that my legacy would live on through them. My kingdom would be in good hands. I was not afraid of what lay beyond the horizon because I knew that I would never truly leave them. In love, I would dwell within them forever.