Life is in it’s purest form when viewed through the eyes of a child. Children are able to embrace situations in an unalter way. Their feelings and emotions are displayed naturally and upfront. If you want a straight up answer to a question ask a two or three year old. At this age they have not been taught by the world to lie. If I ask my two year old “Kihryn did you hit your sister?”, without hesitation she will answer yes. Knowing the consequences she still answers truthfully. Why, because she doesn’t know anything other than the truth. What can children teach us as adults about death?
I imagine every parent has had this situation arise:
Your child wins a goldfish at the carnival. You bring the goldfish home. The next few day is spent buying: a fish tank, rocks for the tank, and fish food. Your child shows their first signs of responsibility as you see them feeding their goldfish multiple time each day. As each day passes, you know that is one day closer to the day the goldfish will die. When that days arrives it is usually the first encounter your child has had with death. How are they going to handle it? To your amazement your child embraces the situation and gives the goldfish a very genuine and heart felt toilet bowl burial.
Why does it seem that a child will give more care and true passion in the passing of a goldfish, then some adults give to the passing of a human? When in our lives do we become desensitized to death? Wouldn’t it be nice if our culture would embrace death through the eyes of a child and treat our dead with love and respect?
Below is a Goldfish Burial video titled: Lucky’s Funeral. The video is very cute and has a few funny moments, but also illustrates the purity of death through the eyes of a child. The little girl (Maya) in the video give a beautiful eulogy for her beloved “Lucky”.
