Last week we finally took Lulu to the R.O.M. (Royal Ontario Museum) and we were not disappointed.
The space is interesting and we really enjoyed all the exhibits.
Lulu was especially fascinated with all the dinosaurs.
Her wide eyed endless questions were so adorable that I swear I must have taken 100 pictures of her that day, wanting to capture the pure look of awe and wonder in her sweet face.
So many questions though- many of which I didn't have a clue how to answer.
At one point we were all sitting on a bench across from some images depicting an asteroid smashing into earth.
Thus the reason that Barosaurus, Albertosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex are not roaming up and down Yonge St. today.
So naturally Lulu wanted to know if that killed all the dinosaurs?
And if another asteroid would smash into earth again and kill us humans?
gulp.
how do you answer that honestly, yet not scare the hell out of a very sensitive 3 year old?
These days I find myself coming up with all sorts answers for stuff that I never really thought about.
Kids do that to you.
Make you stop and think about life.
And appreciate the fragility of life.
For some reason Lulu has been extra sensitive over the past few weeks, she doesn't really like it when we are not close to her.
She tends to follow me from one room to the next.
She seems to want just a little extra cuddling and loving and the end of each day.
She gets a bit upset each time I drop her off at school- which is kind of out of character for her.
The other day she said "mommy I wish that you never get old so you won't die"
I told her that I hope I do get old so that I can live a long and happy life and that it's okay to be old (I just wish wrinkles, sagging skin, aches & pains weren't part of the package)
That part of life is death.
All the more important to make the most of every day.
But not to worry because I won't be old for a long long time (okay that was a bit of a stretch- but you have to bend the truth sometimes)
I hope that wasn't too much information for her- but I want to be honest with her- always.
It's just so hard to be when they are so young.
When it comes to questions like hers about life and death I sometimes wish I was more religious.
It is so much easier to imagine fluffy clouds, angels and beautiful golden harps when it comes to that particular topic.
As much as Lulu is growing physically, I am amazed at how much she is emotionally and intellectually changing each and every day.
And while it seems strange that out of the blue she has become a tad clingy and extra sensitive, maybe it's normal.
After-all whenever I'm feeling uncertain about life or the direction it's is going, I always feel comforted after talking to my own mom about "stuff" and no matter how many years go by, a mother's wisdom and love is what really matters.
Even if they really don't have a clue about what really happened to the dinosaurs.
4 comments:
very poignant post. did something happen to someone at her school? maybe a gramma or grampa passed away and that's what started the questions. They sure are hard to answer, aren't they?
Great post. I'm sure this clingy stage is just that. And that she's wrapped her mind around the idea of death and it scares her. I think you are handling it all really well. It's a tough topic, that's for sure.
Yikes. I keep avoiding the death talk but it's getting harder as my mom and neighbours have lost a few dogs over the past couple of years. Coming soon, I guess.
I really do count myself lucky that I can explain that dino stuff. A good grounding in biology really helps shift the focus from death to the recycling of elements quite smoothly. think it must be around this age they become more aware of the cycles of life, if other things die then so will they. It is unsettling. For all of us.
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