I Can Barely Say the Word...

Death.
I don't find it easy to talk about death. Quite honestly, I can cry at the very thought of it. I have no idea why, but it is what it is.

My Uncle passed away two days ago and although I wasn't very close to him, my eyes swell as I type about it. Any time a family member passes it's difficult. I've known him my whole life. Plus, I keep thinking about my dad (his brother), my uncle's children, my uncle's wife, and his parents - my grandparents. I can't imagine anything worse than outliving your own children.

After my father called me with the news, I hung up the phone and started crying. My boys immediately asked me what was wrong. And I told them Uncle Kirk died. The next question was how. I said he had cancer. Being 6 and 4, they of course don't understand cancer. My youngest said, "Does cancer have guns?" My oldest asked, "Will he be with God in heaven? What is heaven, mom?" The questions kept coming and I had absolutely no idea how to answer them. I had no idea how to explain what cancer is to a young child.

So, I got to thinking. I looked on Amazon.com for some books regarding talking to children about death. Below are some books I found. I hope if you are ever in this position, these will be helpful. My wish is that no one is ever in the position to explain death to young kids, but I know that is unrealistic. After all, death is a part of life. Great... now I'm a sobbing fool!

What's Heaven? by Maria Shriver (Author), Sandra Speidel (Illustrator)

Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings - When someone you love has cancer by Ellen McVicker and illustrated by Nanci Hersh (previously reviewed on Emily Allyn)

I Miss You by Pat Thomas (Author), Leslie Harker (Illustrator)

Water Bugs & Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children by Doris Stickney (Author)

Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing With Loss by Michaelene Mundy (Author), R. W. Alley (Illustrator)