CONVERSATIONS WITH NICK ABOUT DEATH (KIND OF)

Nick is my 3 year old son. My wife Allison and I adopted him in Las Vegas the week he was born (Yay, adoption!) Since then, I’ve been posting my conversations with him on my facebook page. Here are a few of them

CONVERSATIONS WITH NICK ABOUT DEATH (KIND OF)

1.

Scene: Nick is in bed, light are out.

NICK: (Whispering) Daddy?

ME: Yes, Nick?

NICK: I see ghost.

ME: What?

NICK: I see ghost, daddy.

ME: Um…where?

NICK: (pointing toward hallway) Out there.

ME: You see a ghost out there?

NICK: Uh-huh.

ME: Okaaaay…in the hallway?

NICK: No. Outside.

ME: You saw a ghost outside?

NICK: Uh-huh. Ghost.

ME: What was it doing?

NICK: Eat grass.

ME: Eat grass?

NICK: Uh-huh. At farm. I see ghost.

(pause)

ME: Are you saying “goats?”

2.

Scene: Outside with Nick. It’s Fall, sun is doing down.

Me: Wow. Getting windy.

Nick: Is it Halloween right now?

Me: Not yet. What are you gonna be for Halloween?

Nick: Spider-man. And mommy is an octopus and daddy is Robin.

Me: I dressed up like Robin when I was little. My grandma made my costume.

Nick: Where your gramma?

Me: She passed away before you were born.

Nick: Why she pass away, daddy?

Me: Oh, um… She was old. She got old. And old people eventually…they…pass away.

Nick: You gonna be old?

Me: Not for awhile. That’s a cool truck!

Nick: You gonna pass away?

Me: No…not…I mean yes, but…

Nick: Mommy gonna pass away?

Me: No! I mean…

Nick: Who gonna watch me when I sleep??? I gonna cry!!!

Me: No one! I mean no one is gonna pass away!

Nick: Why your gramma pass away?

Me: I don’t know!

Nick: Maybe wind was too strong.

Me: Maybe. Okay. Time to go in. I think it’s gonna rain.

Nick: Don’t worry, daddy. I keep you safe.

Me: You will? How you gonna do that?

Nick: (taps chin) Hmmm… I put you under a blankee until storm passes.

Me: That sounds good.

3.

Scene: Nick, Me and Al are in a car driving… somewhere.

Nick: Mommy? Do only animals die?

Al: No, honey. People die too.

Nick: Hmmm. I don’t know what happens when people die.

Al: Well…uh…

Me: Um… Well… When you die.. You, you…live inside…um…the people that love you.

Al: That’s a bit of a stretch, daddy.

Nick: Someone can’t live inside someone’s tummy!

Al: See?

Me: Okay, you try.

Al: Well, Nick, when someone dies, they live on in our memory.

Nick: AND THEN WE GET DIZZY AND OUR HEAD POPS OFF!

Al: Oh, dear.

Nick: AND THEN IT GETS STUCK IN A BEEHIVE!

Me: Yes, that’s exactly what happens.

Al: David!

Me: Sorry mommy, but it’s time for Nick to learn the truth about the beehive.