Things That Might Kill You

Sometimes it seems to me that Luke is obsessed with death. Sure, I realize that it is natural for a child of his age to try to work out the concept -- but he talks about dying a lot. And he ruminates on what happens after you die. I've told him the different theories, mentioning that nobody really knows if there's anything else after death while pointing out, yet avoiding stressing, the utter finality of the body's decay.

For a while he was taken with the notion of reincarnation -- when Sylvie first came home from the hospital he kept asking me when we would all be born again as little tiny babies and when I said that I thought we wouldn't, he'd get quite upset. Lately he's been more taken with the idea of heaven -- it's a very corporeal heaven, though, like one of the planets in his Super Mario Galaxy Wii game.

"When you die you don't poop anymore," he announced one day in the bathroom. "Until you fly away to heaven through outer space. Once you get to heaven you poop again!"

"I don't know," I said. "I kind of think heaven should be a place where there's no more poop."

But he didn't seem to agree.

In the car the other day my mother and I were discussing someone who had accidentally shot his own eye out. (And I wonder why the child is obsessed with death.) Luke listened with extreme attention and interrupted frequently to ask for details. When I thought we had exhausted that topic and tried to change the subject, he said, "Mommy, tell me more about the man who shot his eye out."

"I don't know any more about it," I said.

"Well then, Mommy, tell me more about what happens when you shoot yourself. Like in the brain or in the heart or in the belly button."

I did my best.

Part of me wants to discourage this fascination while another part wants to encourage it. Recently he mentioned that when he grows up he'd like to find out how to make people live forever.  I'm all for him doing that -- and preferably before my hair turns completely grey and my face goes entirely apple doll.

All this to say, I saw The Complete Manual of Things That Might Kill You: A Guide to Self-Diagnosis for Hypochondriacs in a bookstore the other day here in Victoria and I'm debating about going back to pick it up for him. His father thinks not, worrying that it would turn him into a hypochondriac. He's probably right. If you have any suggestions for more age-appropriate books about ways to die -- perhaps I should rephrase that as "about the frailty of the human body" -- please do let me know.

Comments

[daysgoby]

a basic anatomy book? One geared towards kids, obviously. But I think this is a GREAT thing for him to grow up trying to figure out!!

[Merle Harris]

Look for Jan Thornhill's "I Found a Dead Bird Today: the Kid's Guide to the Cycle of Life and Death" - amazing book for both children and adults.