Fielding the Tough Questions

Last night, right after Matt read Connor his bedtime story, Connor asks me to come into his room and starts asking me about death. Fortunately, he has not yet had the experience of someone close to him dying--not even a pet. And yet something has peaked his curiosity. He starts to ask if we all die. "Yes, but most people don't die until they're really really old."

Then he wants to know if they go to heaven to be with God. I say yes, because I'm not going to try to explain heaven and hell and other religions. We're Christians, bringing him up in a Christian home (or doing our best to, anyhow), so I'm fine with sticking to just the heaven alternative right now.

"Do angels bring us to God," he wants to know. Again, I answer yes.

"When do they bring us back to Earth?" is his next question. I explain that they don't. "You mean we stay in heaven forever?" he asks, as his lip starts to quiver. I wonder what can of worms I just opened. I try my best to always answer Connor's questions honestly, but now I'm wondering if I was too honest somewhere in this conversation.

Then he blurts out, "I don't want to die!" and starts to full out cry. I called for Matt to come in and quickly brought him up to speed (I needed help!). We tried to reassure Connor that heaven was a wonderful place and that it was kind of like going to someplace fun, like Chuck E. Cheese, the fair, or an amusement park, and not wanting to leave--that heaven would be the same way. We also reassured him that most people don't go to heaven to be with God until they're old. We then pointed out that all his grandparents, who he thinks are "old," are still alive and on Earth. He started to calm down and finally went to sleep.

Then this morning he asked me what heaven is like. I told him no one knows for sure, but then I had an idea. I googled heaven and then clicked on the "images" link. I told Connor that while no one knows what heaven is like, many people have tried to create pictures of what they think it will be like. We started going through the pictures and looking at all the neat images--some trying to actually depict heaven, and others just finding beauty in everyday things on Earth, like flowers, the beach, the sunset. I think this worked, as Connor enjoyed looking at the pictures and hasn't asked about heaven and death the rest of the day.

So now I'm hoping to get back to fielding "simpler" questions, like "Mom, what do butterflies eat?"