My uber-Catholic freeper-type aunt [View all]

gave me a birthday gift yesterday: the book Heaven is for Real (the one about the little boy who has a near-death experience).

I think she issued it as a challenge, expecting me to roll my eyes and reject it. She has no idea that I believe in heaven more than she does--she's pathologically terrified of dying and can't bring herself to say that people who pass--even those who have lived a good, long, fulfilling life--are going to a good place. She always says, "Such a shame; poor (whoever)..." Even if they were 98 and in pain.

Anyway, it also drove home the point to me how many people think that if you're a pagan, you don't believe in God or anything associated with God. Couldn't be further from the truth. But--sigh--I'm not going to waste my breath trying to convince her. I just said thank you and said that I'd been wanting to read the book (which is the truth).