How Far Is Heaven?

I'm pretty sure there is a popular song right now, seems really pretty as I recall, with maybe that title? Smooth. Anyway, good segue into today's deep thoughts by Jack Handy, errr. bobJuan. Wow, segue, another spelling miracle! Is this heaven? It's so beautiful here. There's these four legged, furry creatures running and hanging around, apparently for no other reason other than to love, to enjoy themselves and me (no, really, no other good reason!) They're soft, warm, and smell of the fresh earth (at least my backyard). Little miracles. There is this sky above, blue is the color, my favorite. With all this air to breath and food to eat. Oh my goodness, sweet, hearty, tasty morsels of all shapes, colors, textures. Then, this body I'm "in", feels fun (most of the time), gets me into places, out of places (thank God), lets me feel it all. And the place is just teeming with "others" like me, who love to work and play, and love, and serve. We got nothing better to do all day long! Sometimes I wonder, is this heaven? If there is such a thing, could it be better than this? Could it be more beautiful? Do I possibly need more than this? I think the idea of heaven as somewhere else, some other time to come; is perhaps the biggest sin, the greatest excuse for so much pain and destruction. If you believe in God, you must believe he created this place for us? Perfect job. If we believe this is not enough, or heaven is somewhere else, it seems we can become lazy, impatient and start to get ourselves into trouble. The idea that there is more to come is behind so much dissatisfaction and life-zapping judgment. How can this, what we have right now be so insignificant? This chair, this moment, my wife getting ready for her day, is this not wonderful? Is this not why I'm here? Heaven it seems, happens when I quit needing or wanting things to be different. Look around without grasping, see how it is without my habitual lens. There is only one response then that comes, it makes so much sense, and that is love. Love can come when you clear your resistance to how things are. They're just what they are. Have you ever spent a few minutes just letting it be, letting it go? With love then, all manners of joy and inspiration can get moving in my life because I am totally free from the ideas that things need to be different. What a relief. And as soon as I let it all go, and let it all in, life starts to be more amazing, and it seems that heaven is close.