When it’s clear Joe is dying, Mike visits him every day. One day Mike says, “Joe, we both loved basketball all our lives, and we played hoops on Saturdays together for so many years. When you get to Heaven, please do me one favor somehow you must let me know if they play basketball there.”
Joe looks up at Mike from his death bed, “Mike, we’ve been best friends practically all of our lives. If it’s at all possible, I’ll do this favor for you.”
Shortly after, Joe passes on.
In the middle of the night a couple of nights later, Mike is awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to him, “Mike – Mike.”
“Who is it?” asks Mike sitting up suddenly. “Who is it?”
“Mike – it’s me, Joe.”
“You’re not Joe. Joe just died.”
“I’m telling you, it’s me – Joe,” insists the voice.
“Joe! Where are you?”
“In heaven,” replies Joe. “I have some excellent news and a little bad news.”
“Tell me the good news first,” says Mike.
“The good news,” Joe says,” is there’s basketball in heaven. Better yet, all of our old friends who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we’re all young again. Better still, the weather always sunny and temperate so we can always play outside. And best of all, we can play basketball all we want, and we never get tired.”
That’s fantastic,” says Mike. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams! So what’s the bad news?
“You’re on the roster for this Saturday’s game!”
