Discussing Death

Sadly, my father-in-law passed away last week. He was a big fan of my blog as he was a supporter of everything we did. He will be greatly missed. His passing made me consider how adults discuss death with their children. My daughter is too young for the talk, but some day we will have to face it.

When I was a kid, my parents did not talk to me about death. When a close friend died, I was mostly kept in the dark about what was happening. After talking to people about it, I found that this is a common experience. Since both my parents were not religious, they lacked the easy answers that religion often provides. I have also chosen to not be religious, but it is important to me that my daughter does not feel left out of the discussion about death.

Though not religious, I am spiritual in the sense that many of my values and philosophies are faith-based. For example, I believe in reincarnation. My husband is not as convinced. No matter. When my daughter is ready to discuss death, I will tell her the truth. That nobody knows what happens after we die, and if they say they do, they are just guessing. Read more »