Sunday, August 9, 2009

Heavy Sadness

For months now the girls and I have been praying for the little girl of a friend of mine from college. She was the same age as Maggie, Kate, and Sarah, had a big sister about the same age as Ella, and she had leukemia.

Today she is free from all her pain and in heaven with Jesus.

Tonight when the girls asked, just as they do every night, "Mommy is she better now?", I said yes. She isn't sick anymore, but she has gone to heaven to live with Jesus.

That brought on a whole bunch of questions and comments that I couldn't prepare for. We speculated for 15 minutes about how we get to heaven (questions like does Jesus pick us up from earth?) , what we'll do there, who all will be there, and the list goes on. Maggie even supposed that Jesus will let us come back real quick to grab our pocket books and purses.

I felt very inadequate answering their questions. I strive to be real and authentic in every circumstance with the girls, but sometimes I wonder what they must be thinking.

So if you have any advice on how to discuss death with little ones, please share that with me, and please pray for this sweet family who now has one child on earth and one in heaven.



5 comments:

Denise said...

MB- I have no advice for you but wanted to let you know that your friend and her family and you and your family are in my prayers.

Sab Mad said...

That is so hard. I am so sorry for you and your friend.

Honesty is the route we take. There are so many things that just don't know and I tell the kids that. And then I remind them of what I do know, God is still God and He loves us very much.

Hug your babies a little tighter tonight. I'm praying for you and your friend.

Cadi + 4 said...

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I don't have advice either as I don't know how I would cope with something so difficult. Its a huge fear of mine to lose a child. I think at this age death is something they all question. It sounds like you did a good job explaining it.

danajk said...

Oh MaryBeth, I am so sorry. What a tragic loss for her family and friends, and even your little girls who will struggle with what this means. I think you did a great job explaining it to them. I also think that you will just be there when they have questions. I will keep all of you in my prayers.

Candace Hickey said...

As the others have said...I am sorry about your friend's child.

The only advice I can think of is to be as honest as you feel comfortable...
Maybe you could simply say that she is "living" in Heaven now....but that we do not know when it will be our turn to go to Heaven?

Praying for all of you...