I was waiting for Momma S to get M down for the night and playing some games of tic-tac-toe with K. I took a break to get a glass of water and when I came back into the living room K hit me with:
– I don’t want you to get dead.
– (stunned silence) What?
– I don’t want you to get old or hurt and be dead.
I immediately pulled K into a huge bear hug and whispered into his ear that I am right here and not going anywhere. I asked where is this coming from? Did you talk about something in preschool?
– No. I just don’t want somebody to hurt you or for you to get old and be dead.
– I don’t think anybody is going to hurt me; but as for getting old…that just sorta happens. You can’t stop it.
– But your old and if you keep getting old you will be dead.
– Yes. At some point I will be dead, but not now and not anytime soon. But getting old is part of life. How old were you last year?
– 3
– And how old are you now?
– 4
– And how old will you be after your next birthday?
-5
– See, you are always getting older and the same thing is happening to me. Every year I get older and some day, when I am really old, I will die.
– Can’t you just stop having your birthday? That way you don’t get older.
I guess that was the end of the conversation. As I brought out a humorous retort at how some people try to stop celebrating their birthdays but keep getting older, he cut me off by shoving a book at me and demanding that I read it to him. But in all honesty, I was really touched by this moment. K and I have our ups and downs and Momma S is the icing on this family cake, so for him to share this with me was something unexpected and extra special. I love K so much, and that giant bear huge I gave him after he informed me that he did not want me to be dead was the high point of my day.
family nomadic 
What goes on in those little heads of theirs can be quite a surprise. It’s wonderful you were there at the moment he wanted to share. Our moments with our children seems so short as you see them at 3, then 4 and so on until one day they are walking out the door to start their own lives and then it will be you asking for the birthdays to stop so you can continue to savor those moments that they are there by your side still sharing those wonderful thoughts of theirs. I hung on to my children’s every word when they spoke, loving each and every moment I spent with them. The best days of my life have been with my children watching them grow. They are now to big for bear hugs but that never stops me and they know it never will. All I can say is keep savoring those moments and lock them away to memory as they will remain your favorites of all.
Sage advice. When in the thick of things with little kids and life, it is good to hear these wise words as it is very easy to forget to cherish these moments in the rush for bed time.
This was lovely David. What a fabulous moment and you’ve inspired me to start writing things like this down. Well done.
Thank you. Keep some sort of journal is so important, because if we’re not careful it all fades away.