All about the sky
September 2nd, 2005
Soph is telling me about something fun she did. She’s bouncing. “It was great!” she says. “It was horrific!”
“You mean terrific?”
“No. Horrific.”
“Well, terrific means ‘good’, and I know horrific sounds like terrific, but ‘horrific’ actually means the opposite. It means really terrible, something really, really awful.”
She thinks about this. Then she says, “It’s horrific that Aunt Linda died.”
“That’s exactly what that is. You’re right,” I say.
“How did she die? Can you tell me how she died?” she wants to know.
“She died from cancer. It’s a kind of sickness—”
This is not what she wants, not at all. “No, but HOW did she die?”
“It was the cancer, honey. Aunt Linda’s body got too tired, and her heart stopped beating—”
“No, but HOW? HOW did she die?” Sophie is getting agitated.
“How do you mean, honey?”
“HOW did she die?” She is on the verge of tears.
“Her body got tired, and—”
“No! But HOW?”
“You mean, how did the important part of her go away? You mean her spirit?” I ask.
“Yes!” She is relieved. “How does her spirit go up to heaven?”
“I don’t know, honey. That’s the big mystery. Nobody knows for sure.”
She nods. “You should ask God about that,” she tells me. “God knows all about the sky.”
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized, Play nice! (Politics & Religion), Tattletales. (Mouths of babes)
5 Comments
1. Cory from Canada | September 3rd, 2005 at 11:29 pm
I wish moms had an “onstar” button we could push and someone, anyone would give us an answer or two….
2. Spot the Wonder Dog | September 6th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
The two main competing theories on how the soul is transported to Heaven are:
1.) The CS Lewis “Great Divorce” theory, in which souls board a tour bus and ascend to Heaven.
2.) The David Hopkins “Jack” theory (www.pholph.com - warning mature audiences only) in which souls are escorted to Judgment by a large, green, monstrous, Rabbit-like Grim Reaper.
For Sophie, I recommend going with the monster-rabbit story.
3. the Mater | September 7th, 2005 at 8:15 am
I beg to disagree, Spot. Remember that our Sophie has already ruminated about “vorce” … so I would go with #1 and may the Vorce be with her … right there with the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe.
4. geogirl | September 7th, 2005 at 8:32 am
Hey! Wait a minute!!
You mean that mothers aren’t given a secret handbook with all the answers as soon as they give birth???
5. moxie | September 11th, 2005 at 7:37 pm
I have been re*ading without commenting for weeks, ne months now. I only wanted to say that I dig it.
thanks for writing.
mox
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