Nate is coming to grips with his mortality. He's finally figured out that he's eventually going to die, and he has issues with it. As far as I can figure, it's not so much actual death that worries him; but, will he be kidnapped first? And will he be mummified afterward?
"Pirates of the Caribbean" is to blame for the former concern. Much as he liked some bits of the movie (He greets me with ''ello, Poppet!'), the whole concept of kidnapping has him a little wigged out. This morning at breakfast, he held up his new "Optimus Prime" Transformer and asked, "Mom, what if someone kidnapped me so they could get their hands on Optimus Prime (which he pronounces 'pwime')?" "C'mon Nate. Why would anyone kidnap you for your toy? Why not go to Target and buy one just like it? Why not just snatch the toy?" "Oh. Well, yeah." [Long pause] "If I did get kidnapped, would you pay any amount to get me back?" Of course, I soothed him with cuddles and expressions of undying love and willingness to sell anything - even the car- to get him back. This with "The Ransom of Red Chief" running through my mind.
And it's a book about Ancient Egypt that has him all freaked out about mummies. He loves this book and we read from it almost every night at the moment. But the other night, after we had finished, he said, "Moooooom???" in a quivery little voice. I looked down at him and saw tears perched on his lashes. "Mooooooom? Do people still make mummies?" "Uh, no, not any more." "Why not? Why did they stop?" "Well, it takes a really long time and think how expensive it would be in today's world. Even then, they only did it for kings and other big shots." "If I die... (his little voice rises to a squeak) will someone make me into a mummy?" "No. Of course not." I refrained from saying, "They'll just drain all your blood out, replace it with chemicals, pop you into a box and bury you. Oh! Or you could choose to be burned to cinder." Bonus mommy points for my admirable restraint in high-stakes situations, huh?
10 comments:
Funny post Kate. Nate 's so sweet.
This made me laugh...
Liv has been worried about cremation since our neighbor died. And now she has to go to a funeral with me this week, it might be a loooong week, because once they grab an idea, they are like a dog with a bone, yes?
My guy hasn't gotten to this stage yet. We have talked about animals dying, but he doesn't get the concept. I'm not looking forward to the day. I had to smile about "pwime" because my guy does that, too. He is really into firemen, now, but he calls them "wiremen" and they go to "wires." :)
How funny! Coffee Bean hasnt quite advanced as far as Nate yet. She's still on the...I'll get hit by a car and die! But she has figured out the ORDER in which people in our family will kick the bucket...go figure...
Your post has made me laugh!
I can remember learning about death and finding the whole prospect pretty scary! But I can honestly say I've never thought about being mummified!
I remember coming to terms with my mortality sometime about the same age as Nate. Same thing...I was really freaked-out about it. It took my grandmother, a saintly old woman whose Catholic faith was rumored to move mountains, that got me through my fears. Death has never really bothered me since.
Thirty eight years later, I was with my father when he passed away a year ago. Next to the births of my daughters, witnessing my father's passing was a gut-wrenching, emotionally draining experience. And yet, helping one pass out of this life is like the yin & yang to helping bring another life into this world.
Neither of these two extremes are anything anyone of us should ever fear experiencing.
Both are incredibly profound, and in their own ways, beautiful events in life.
That's how I teach my own daughters.
Anonymously, John
Wow, I don't think I actually came to grip with my own mortality until I had kids and I had to figure out what would happen when something happens to me (not if something happens, because, well, it's coming).
I belly laughed at the end :)
My son attends catholic school. He, at roughly same age, was completely wigged out at prospect of death. Specifically because of his religion class. Crucifixion, Heaven, Hell. OY, did I have some explaining to do. "No, you won't go to hell. I promise. I don't even think I believe there is one, regardless of what the teacher says. There is nothing you could have possibly done in your first 7 years of life to warrant a trip to hell, I swear." "But are YOU going to DIE?" "Well, yes, but not for 40 or so more years."
He does seem to be over it now, and has dealt with death close up. He had questions when Dad died, but was really heroic about it. Then came the heaven/hell questions again when his 3rd grade class started discussing the Iraq war, and whether soldiers go to hell for killing...Remind me again why he's going there? Oh, right, NYC public schools are a mess, and I cannot afford the 20K+ tuition to send him to private unaffiliated schools. ARGH.
too funny. my daughter is also into Ancient Egypt and could not get over how Seth killed his own brother.
"so, mom...people actually kill their brothers?"
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