A wonderful blogger, WorryWart, posted The Long Story of How Liver Becomes Pâté a few weeks ago and it gave me the idea of posting this conversation that I recorded in my journal between my daughter and I from over 8 years ago. WorryWart is a terrific blogger and I’m sure you will love her story if you haven’t already read it. I hope you like mine.
To give you a little background, my husband’s father passed away in February 2001. My daughter, Tink, was not quite 2 years old at the time. She had a vague memory of her Papa, but this particular summer she seemed to be putting together that he was “missing”. My husband, Tink and I were visiting my sister-in-law and her family and had just returned from visiting my parents. Here is mine and Tink’s conversation from Sunday July 27, 2003 when she was 5 years old:
T= Tink M = Me
T – Is Nana at the beach?
M – Yes
T – Who is with her?
M – Adam and June, Alicia and Jessie and Aunt Barbara.
T – Is Papa, well you know I have a Papa at Grandmama’s house and I used to have a Papa at Nana’s house? Is he at the beach too?
M – No he’s not
T – Well where is he?
M – He’s in heaven
T – Why?
M – Because he passed away a while back when you were a baby.
T – You mean he died?
M – Yes
T – Why?
M – His heart stopped beating.
T – It just stopped?
M – Yes
T – You mean it stopped beeping? (I made a note that Tink clasped her hands over her chest and her eyes were very big. She also thought at this age that hearts “beeped” instead of “beat”)
M – Yes
T – Maybe he got old and got dead ’cause that happens when you get old?
M – Sometimes, yes.
T – But you’re not old Mommy, you’re not old (she was shaking her head)
M – No baby, I’m not old. (I’m not trying to compliment myself here, but to ease the mind of my child you understand) I say I’m old sometimes but I’m not really old.
T – You say you’re old, but you’re not really old?
M – That’s right baby.
There was a short pause while her little brain tried to wrap itself around our conversation. Then Tink narrowed her eyes and looked at me and said:
T – You mean you LIED????
Just so you know, our conversation pattern has not changed all that much 8 years later. Enjoy the weekend folks! I’ll be back on Monday with more random ramblings!