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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sharing the God & Goddess with My Sons

For those of you who've popped onto Pagan Presence in days past, you may have read that I once struggled with the idea of instilling religion into the lives and minds of my children.  One more avenue of intolerance and challenge that they might have to face in this ever-segregated world!  And yet, as they grow [and so too do I], my Faith seems to find its own way into quiet parent-child moments. 

My eldest boy is in Kindergarten.  Recently the elementary school lost a fourth grade student, Greta, who died unexpectedly.  The principal and administrative staff sent letters home to parents asking that we break the news to our children in a way most appropriate for our own family.  My boys have thankfully had very limited access to death -- two bowl-side ceremonies to say good bye to two bubble-eyed fish. 

I took the time then to explain life and death to my son -- that though the body dies, your energy moves into a new life, a spirit life -- but I wondered how he would relate this to the death of a child close to his own age.  While we loved our watery pets, this tragic news would bring death to an entirely new and more weighted level. 

As I prepared dinner that evening, I debated whether I should even tell him at all.  This was not a girl he knew.  They just happened to share the same school building.  But then, he approached me to ask about the letter that his teacher had put into his backpack.

"What was on the white paper?  Is it a coloring page?"  he asked.

Sweet innocence!  I left the stove to let the supper simmer and sat him next to me at the kitchen table.  I told him that many of the teachers and older kids in his school were very sad because they had lost a special friend; a girl who had passed away.

Immediately he sought confirmation in his understading of what I had relayed to him.

"Her body died?"

I nodded and then asked him if he remembered what that meant.  He thought for a moment and then touched the deepest part of my heart with his reply...

"Her special light goes to the spirit world.  Then she can find other people that's body died, like Rocky [the fish].  Do you think she'll see Rocky?  I do!  And since the God and Goddess are spirits too, they'll probably be there too.  So all day she could watch her teacher and her friends with the Sun and at night she can watch them with the Moon.  I'm sure they'll let her.  Right?" 

I'm sure they will, little man.  I'm sure they will.

After dinner, he and I lit a 'blessing stick' [incense] in honor of Greta.  And he ended his blessing as he always does, with an adorable "Bless a Bee" [Bless-ed Be]. 

And I was worried about sharing my beliefs with him!  His compassion rekindles my own connection to the Divine.


For Greta
May you ride the blue skies on the arcing Sun
and dance among stars with our Lady Moon. 
Bless your special light, sweet girl. 
Bless-ed Be.

 

3 comments:

  1. It sounds like you have done a great job with your little one! Bless a bee! (I love that one)

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  2. I think you handled that beautifully. Love and peace to sweet Greta.

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  3. That is so sweet! I hope to be able to discuss things and have my children understand them clearly like yours do :)

    Peace to Greta's family, and friends, and blessings to all.

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