Cross Examination

The more my children learn, the more questions they have.  The more information they're given, the more they require.  They aren't easily satisfied either!  If your answer is at all vague, the more in-depth the questions become.  Teachers cover the academic end; though at these ages, seven and six, I'm pretty confident in that area.  (Although, has anyone seen the new new math?? Makes no sense to me!)  

It's the religious questions that trip me up!  They had questions before, but now that they're both in CCD (religious education Catholic style), they've got even more.  I can answer most of them at least enough to satisfy them for a while, but when we get to the Holy Trinity...well...that's a toughy to explain to children!  They see things so logically and physically, so to speak.  When I tell them God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one, they look at me and smirk.  

"But Jesus is God's son, right?"  

"Yes, that's right."

"Then how can He be the same as God?"

"Um, well, because he's God and He can do anything." (Lame, I know, but I was desperate.)

"Was Jesus always with God in Heaven?"

"Yes."

"So that's two people, God and Jesus."

"No, they're not people.  It's not like they're sitting side by side up there."

Blank stare.  

Blink, blink.

"Nevermind."

"Okay."  (Inaudible sigh of relief!)

I know they walk away more confused than when they asked the question, but I figure I've shaken their confidence in my role as all-knowing oracle enough for now.

When Gene was leaving the house with our beloved Chickie wrapped in a blanket and cradled in is arms after she passed away, they asked where he was taking her. "Aren't we going to bury her?!"  Gene and I just looked at each other, sighed, and decided on the truth, albeit a bit vague.  "Well, the vet is going to cremate Chickie.  Cremation is something he does that makes Chickie small enough to fit in a shoebox."  They were okay with this and I was pretty proud of myself for satisfying them.  That is, until the next day when Cathy, playing with a miniature Barbie dog, asked, "Is this how Chickie will look when she comes home?"  Ugh.  "No baby, she won't look like a dog anymore. She won't look like anything."  Blank look.  Not until Chickie came home in the lovely rosewood box and they asked to see her did they understand.  I had hoped to avoid showing them the ashes that she'd become, but didn't want to deny them.  When I did, their eyes opened a little wider and their mouths gaped a bit, but they got it; they finally understood.  "That's Chickie??!" asked Cathy.  "It's okay," answered Leo, "She's just back to dust, Cath, it's not really her.  She's up playing in the field by the bridge, remember?"  "Oh yeah."  And that was that.

I know it's just going to get harder and harder to satisfy them as time goes by and their abilities to process information grow stronger each day.  I know there will be many more blank stares or even, God forbid, eye rolls and sideways looks at each other that say, "She has no idea, does she?"  

I don't remember how old I was before I became aware of just how clueless my parents were nor do I remember how old I was when I realized they weren't clueless at all.  I can tell you one thing for sure; it was after many, many eye rolls!

~Eileen Cassidy Bishop