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Slice of Life and Death

by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

How do you explain death to a three-year-old child?

My son David has a child's rosary that he holds on to while we say his night prayers together. Tonight, he did not want to say his prayers, so I told him that God loves us and He made us and He wants us to talk to Him.

"Who is Jesus?" he asked, looking at Jesus on the cross of his rosary.
"Jesus is God's son who He sent here to save us," I replied.
"Why is he on the cross?", he inquired.
"He died on the cross and then came back from the dead three days later. That's what we celebrated on Easter."
"Where is Jesus?"
"Jesus and God are in heaven along with lots of people who have died. When people die we can't see them anymore here, but they are in heaven looking down on us. Remember when your great-grandma died last year. Now she is in heaven."
"I'll miss you when you die on the cross," he said as he threw his arms around me.
"I'll miss you, too," I said as I hugged him back, "but I won't die on a cross. People don't usually die on a cross, and I will most likely die a very long time from now."
"But who will take me to Memere and Pepere's?"
"By that time, you will be all grown up. You'll be able to drive a car."
"Someday, my rosary will die."
"No, things can't die. They can break and be thrown away, but only living things like plants, animals, and people can die. But death isn't scary because then we'll be in heaven with God."
"I don't like dying."
"Most people don't."
"I don't want to be big and drive a car because then I won't be able to sit in my car seat."
"OK." I paused. "Are you ready to say prayers now?"
"Yes"

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is editor of The Spiritual Woman Newsletter