Family Reunion

Recently Jenna has begun asking questions. Deep, insightful questions about Jesus, God and our faith. I'm sure it probably has a lot to do with her Bible School attendance this summer, but also something to do with the natural, inquisitive nature of a 5 year-old. As her parent, and as the first-time parent of a 5 year-old, I am beginning a whole new chapter in my life as well. I firmly believe that a parent is a child's first teacher, but at times like these I just feel incompetent, ill-prepared, and not at all ready for the job that lies ahead.

One thing that Jenna has been questioning is what happens when a person dies. Gone are the days where she'll accept my simple response, "They go to heaven". She knows that, but she wants to know what happens to the actual person. The body. Do you stop breathing? Do your eyes stay open or do they close? Do you wear clothes when you're dead? Do they bury you in the ground? (that last one surprised me . . . I have no idea where she learned that tidbit of information, but I'm guessing it might be her cousin Luke . . . who apparently also informed her that sometimes people die with their eyes open).


I decided that since death is one of the natural, inevitable things that a child will have to deal with in his/her lifetime, the best thing I can do is teach my children about death. So that they have a better grasp on what it means, both physically and spiritually, and what the chain of events will be following the death of a loved one.

Yesterday morning, I took Jenna to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. We visited the graves of all four of my grandparents, her great-grandparents, and even my maternal great-grandparents. We talked about how they died, how old they were, how old I was when it happened, etc. etc. We looked at the graves and touched the headstones. We talked about the people they were, and what I remembered best about them.

It was a teachable moment. It was a quiet, reverent, bonding moment with my daughter. It was a chance to pay my respects to four people who shaped my life in powerful ways. It was a family reunion, of sorts. And it was an opportunity to teach Jenna that death isn't something to be feared. That's the beauty of our faith in God and eternal life. Whenever I'm stuck for answers as a parent, I can always rely on my faith and the message of God's teachings for the answers.

That is, until she starts asking again about how babies are born. I'm really not ready for that one . . . and I really hope that Luke doesn't beat me to it again!