Funny story: If we make a special exception for you will it be special?

There once lived a man of great wealth, a man who had spent his entire life accumulating riches. He owned vast lands, countless treasures, and more gold than he could ever spend in a lifetime. However, as the years passed and he neared the end of his journey in this world, a troubling thought began to consume him. What would happen to all that he had worked so hard for? The man realized that when his time came, he would have to leave everything behind. This thought filled him with despair. He had no family to inherit his wealth, no children to carry on his legacy. He had devoted his entire existence to building his fortune, and the idea of leaving it all behind felt unbearable. Night after night, he lay awake, wrestling with this thought. Finally, he turned to prayer, pleading with the heavens to allow him to take his wealth with him when his time came. One night, as he sat alone in his grand but empty mansion, a bright light filled the room. From this radiant glow emerged an angel, who gazed at the man with kindness and wisdom beyond measure. “O mortal,” the angel spoke, “all men come into this world empty-handed, and empty-handed they must leave. This is the way of things.”

The man, desperate, pleaded with the angel. “I have spent my whole life working for my wealth. I have no one to leave it to, no one who will cherish it as I have. Can there be no exception? Must everything I have built be lost to strangers?” The angel paused, considering the man’s words. “This is highly unusual,” the angel finally said, “but I will see what can be done.” With that, the angel disappeared. The man sat in silence, unsure if his prayers had been heard. Then, just as suddenly as before, the angel reappeared. “A special exception has been made,” the angel declared. “You may bring with you what you can pack into one suitcase.” The man was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he rushed to find the largest suitcase he owned. He carefully packed it full of gold bars, making sure to fill every inch of space. Satisfied, he placed it beside his bed and waited for the inevitable day. That day soon arrived. As his soul left his body, he grasped the heavy suitcase, determined to take his treasure with him. When he arrived at the gates of heaven, he found himself in a long line of souls, each waiting for their turn to be admitted. He dragged his impossibly heavy suitcase behind him, step by step until finally, he stood before the grand and watchful figure of St. Peter.

St. Peter looked at the man, then down at his suitcase. With a raised eyebrow, he asked, “You know you can’t bring that in, right?” The man, feeling quite confident, straightened up and replied, “I have been granted special permission by an angel. I may bring one suitcase with me.” St. Peter frowned slightly but nodded. “I see. Please wait here.” He then stepped away, disappearing behind the pearly gates. After a few moments, he returned. “Indeed, it seems a special exception has been made in your case. However, before I can allow you to enter, I must inspect the contents of your suitcase.” The man, beaming with pride, readily handed over the suitcase. He could already imagine the looks of amazement on the faces of those within heaven when they saw his wealth. He watched as St. Peter unlatched the case and lifted the lid. But instead of admiration, a look of pure confusion spread across St. Peter’s face. He turned toward the other angels behind him and called out, “All this fuss over a suitcase full of pavement?” The man was bewildered. He rushed to look inside, only to realize what he had overlooked. The gold that had been his life’s greatest treasure, his most prized possession was nothing more than pavement in the kingdom of heaven. At that moment, the weight of his choices came crashing down on him. He had spent his entire life amassing wealth, believing it to be the ultimate achievement. Yet, in the place he now sought to enter, it was as common as stone, as meaningless as dirt. He had devoted his life to gathering riches, but in the end, he had nothing of true value to show for it. With a heavy heart, he looked up at St. Peter. “What, then, is truly valuable here?” he asked softly. St. Peter smiled gently and replied, “That which cannot be measured in gold or silver. Love, kindness, compassion, the good deeds you do for others, these are the treasures that hold worth beyond this world.”