Defeating Death
Apropos of nothing, Amelia starts sobbing slightly, and tells me that she's sad that her Nana died (Ruth Anne's mother, who died 3 and a half years ago, they day before Amelia turned one).
Somehow, this wandered into a conversation about how everything that is alive, eventually dies. This did not sit well with a four year old, and she was crying real tears about how she didn't want to die and she didn't want mommy to die.
I was out of ideas about how to make it better, when she suggested I make a plan. She got out a piece of paper and a pen for me to make the plan with. She then gave me the plan, so I could write it down.
How about if a dinosaur eats the day we're going to die?
Is that a great plan or what? She was suddenly very cheerful and very excited about implementing her plan. It turns out she has a dinosaur at her little house (an imaginary place she lives with her grandmother) who is both big and good; a long neck, by the way. Bigger than a giant. Bigger than a beanstalk.
We're also going to show out plan to everyone in the world, so they can read it.
So if any of you were worried about mortality, worry no more.
Somehow, this wandered into a conversation about how everything that is alive, eventually dies. This did not sit well with a four year old, and she was crying real tears about how she didn't want to die and she didn't want mommy to die.
I was out of ideas about how to make it better, when she suggested I make a plan. She got out a piece of paper and a pen for me to make the plan with. She then gave me the plan, so I could write it down.
How about if a dinosaur eats the day we're going to die?
Is that a great plan or what? She was suddenly very cheerful and very excited about implementing her plan. It turns out she has a dinosaur at her little house (an imaginary place she lives with her grandmother) who is both big and good; a long neck, by the way. Bigger than a giant. Bigger than a beanstalk.
We're also going to show out plan to everyone in the world, so they can read it.
So if any of you were worried about mortality, worry no more.