I have a 6 yr old son, and my own father is 93. We’ve obviously been aware for a long time that Alfies’s Grandpa isn’t going to be around forever. Over the last 2 years we’ve talked totally opening about this with Alfie. We’ve had the most wonderful philosophical discussions around it. ‘But why will he die?’ ‘I don’t want to die,’ ‘I don’t want you to die’. We haven’t shied away from anything. I’ve talked with him about how we can die when our bodies have had enough. When he says he wants to live forever, I exclaim ‘Oh I don’t!’ We have discussed what a relief it must be, when the body has had enough, to let go. Naturally, he’s also talked about what happens after. I don’t know and he knows I don’t know. We’ve talked about different beliefs. About a year ago he decided it would be okay for us to die, because we would be reborn, and I would be his mum all over again! (in the same house… and his toys would all still be here!) I don’t belittle his beliefs, I merely add it to the list of beliefs I’ve heard of. My dad has a white cardboard coffin already. My son has already helped decorate it. Where his cousins were drawing flowers, he has drawn an irrigation system!
