On Dying

Dear Reader,

The other day my elder son declared that dying is good! When I asked him why, he replied that by dying, we become part of everything and are everywhere - in the plants, in the sky, everywhere!

This wasn't the first time he has amazed me by his information processing and communication ability. He lost his Nanu recently, and I made sure that the kids saw his body, and understood what was happening with their Nanu. I explained how we put the body in a fire, so that he would become ash and then we would do phoooooo and spread it everywhere. On how their Nanu has become a star now and will always be looking at them from high up in the sky. And how he is all around us and if we say good morning to the plants, we are saying good morning to Nanu!

I had no way of knowing how my kids would understand this phenomenon of dying. But my 2.5 year old and 4.5 year old made my conscious efforts seem worthwhile with their question and answers. They made my father into a rocket, who when lit with fire goes zoom into space...in their little minds this explained where their Nanu had gone.

I guess as parents, this is an important task we must fulfill - help kids make sense of the world that they are growing up in. I would love to hear from you, dear caregivers, on how you helped your child understand difficult and emotional situations.

Hoping to continue this thread...

Love, Shweta