Thoughts on Cats... and Death

Today's scrumptious visit to Sprinkle's led to an unexpected converstation regarding death between Noah and Grandma.  Lately I've been in awe over how much Noah's mind seems to be expanding and his ability to communicate complex thoughts with such enthusiasm and articulation. 

The converstation went somewhat like this:

Noah:  (making a strange whining sound)

Grandma:  You sound like a cat.

N:  I am a cat.

Me:  What's your name?

N:  Lucy.  (My mom's cat is named Lucy)  But Prissy is gone forever.  She is dead.  (Prissy is my mom's cat who recently passed).  Otis misses her because she was his mommy.  And now he doesn't get to see her anymore.  Never again.  (Otis is Prissy's kitten).

G:  Oh yes.  I miss her too. 

N:  Where did she go?

G:  I'm not really sure.  She's somewhere in the universe.  I think that maybe one day when I die I will get to see her again.

Me:  That's what some people think, Noah.  Some people think that when you die you will get to see all the loved ones who also died.

N:  Maybe she went to a place where all cats who die go.  That would be so cool.  If they went to a place where they are normal again.  What did she look like when she died?

G:  She looked like she was sleeping.

N:  Why did she die?

G:  She was very old and tired.  She didn't want to eat or move anymore.  She was ready to let her body rest.

N:  I think they should have a store where the man keeps all the cats who died and he makes them normal again so we can go see them.  That would be really really cool. 

G & Me:  That would be cool, wouldn't it.



So that's the gist of it.  I felt like time stood still.  Noah has been asking a lot of questions about death lately, which makes me think I should buy a book about all the different things people think happen to you when you die so that he can form his own opinions.  I don't want to give him some standard answer...I want him to know there are many different viewpoints in the world. 

One night a few weeks ago, he put it together that I might die one day.  His voice cracked and he sounded like he was going to freak out and cry about it.  I had to be honest and tell him that everybody dies and that one day mommy was going to die too, that it's just what happens.  But that we are alive right now and can enjoy each other right now.  He understood and quickly got over it.  Then today, he said that it would be OK if I died because daddy would take good care of him.  I was kind of surprised and at the same time relieved that he felt like it would be OK and that he would be in good hands if something were to happen to me:)

this book sounds like a good one.  Especially since it covers all living things, not just people.  Because Noah is also very concerned about dying flowers.  Whenever I have some in a vase and they start to die, he is very concerned and almost upset that someone cut the flowers, since he knows that once you cut flowers, they begin dying. 

Anyway, this is just one of those deep conversations I just had to record.  I'm thinking of taking him to a cemetary as well because whenever we drive by one, it spurs a conversation about death and burying the body, and he seems very interested.  Maybe I will take him to my Grandma's grave.  Hmmm.