“Call my cell ASAP,” the text message said.

I looked from my phone to the room of 7^th grade students reviewing Pentecost in partners.

“Guys, I have to step outside for a minute.  I think I might have a family emergency.”

As I closed the door behind me, I heard Luke say, “Everybody!  We have to say a prayer for Miss Sloan!  She has a family emergency!”

I called Dad, and my suspicions were confirmed.  “Grandpa has begun the process of actively dying.  He has one to three days left.  Come home as soon as you can.”

I hung up the phone and walked back into the classroom.

“Is everything okay, Miss Sloan?” Tim asked, concerned.

“Not really, it looks like my grandpa is passing away.  I have to go home for a few days.”

There was a chorus of ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘We’ll pray for him.’  I tried to continue with the lesson, but they wanted to know more about my grandpa.  So we put the book down to do some real learning, together.

“Are you sad?”

“I am sad, because I really love him.  But it’s a joyful thing too.”

“How can it be joyful?  He’s dying.”

“You know how moms cry when a baby is born?”

Chorus of nods.

“It’s kind of like that.  Because death is like preparing to go on a journey to new life with God.  I get to help him prepare for his journey to heaven.  And there he won’t die anymore.”

At this point a very sincere girl furrowed her brow and raised her hand.  “So there’s like…actually….no death?”

“Nope.  There’s no death.”

“Oh,” she said quietly.

Twenty-four hours later, as I sat at the foot of my grandfather’s bed and watched him draw his final breaths, I remembered that conversation.

B. Jane Sloan is a writer and high school theology teacher from Atlanta, GA. In addition to blogging for Catholic Exchange, she has been published in Our Sunday Visitor, Notre Dame Magazine and the literary journal Omnibus. Jane graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2007 with a B.A. in theology and philosophy. In 2009, she graduated with an M. Ed. from Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education. In 2009 Jane made a 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. She spent summer 2010 as an intern planting vegetables and baking bread at the Abbey of Regina Laudis OSB in Bethlehem, CT. In 2011 she was present among the millions at the beatification of Blessed John Paul II. She is currently working toward her M.A. in Theology. Follow her on Twitter @CE_SundayBrunch. Follow her other blog on all-natural eating at www.thesavagepalate.blogspot.com