Many years ago, my five-year-old son taught me something about life.
One day he came in after playing outside in the yard and said he saw a bug that was lying on its back, kicking its legs. I went outside with him and he showed me the bug. I noticed right away that it was dying; not long for this world.
We sat on the porch steps together watching the bug as I launched into ‘the parenting talk’ about dying. I told him that everybody has a time to die, and that dying was a natural part of life. Bugs and birds have a time to die, and so do people and animals. I shared my faith beliefs in a way I thought a five-year-old might understand.
I went inside feeling pretty good about that teaching moment and not long after that, my sweet boy came back in and agreed with me. “You were right, mama, it was that bug’s time to die”, he said, “because, I stepped on him.”
That little episode was full of little life lessons. Everyone views our world and life events differently. Not everyone is always on the same wave length or mindset. What we say and how others hear what we say may not have the same meaning or importance.
Sometimes you just have to laugh.
