Mama, where is Heaven?

Driving in the car, I got a call from a friend who had to take a sudden roadtrip home to deal with a death in the family.

My sweet Rylan asked, as he does at every opportunity,
"Mama, who are you talking to? What was she telling you about?"

I thought to myself - CRAP! What do I say?! How do you describe such sadness and life lessons to such an innocent little guy? I crossed my fingers, took a deep breath, and went for it - I was honest.

I told him that my friend was sad. That someone she loved was going to have to go away to Heaven, where she wouldn't be able to see them again for a really long time.

"Is she going to cry? Does she need to hug herself on the couch to feel better? Is Heaven near the lake house? Is she so sad that she's going to drive her car and go bonk in a tree?"

Wow. Um. Just as I think, I've got the most mature 3-year-old on the planet, BAM! Drive her car into a tree?! I mentally scroll through every thing I've ever let him watch on television. What have I been letting him watch?!

I asked a couple follow up questions to see what he meant - but his attention span was lost - onto more exciting things like babbling in baby talk to his little brother, blowing bubbles in the bathtub, and rocket ships that are going to fly and land in his milk at dinner.

Did he understand? I don't know. But I discovered that the big topic wasn't as scary and as hard to explain - at this level - as I had thought.

Honesty just may become my new policy.