For Heather The one major thing I’ve felt since becoming a mom is that we MOMS are a tight knit group of people. Growing up sometimes women can be unkind to one another, I’m not sure why this is and it’s sad. But I found when you become a mom you then join this amazingly supportive group like you are part of a large tribe of people who understand you. At PTPA I’ve found amazing friendships both through the bloggers and the readers of our blogs. People who take the time to read what we have to say and post comments to share their thoughts is wonderful. Recently a member of my MOM TRIBE lost her beautiful little boy, Zack. My heart breaks for her both as a friend and as a mom. I feel like I can’t do enough for her at this time of need. Yesterday I went to the celebration of Zack’s life. Sitting there listening to all of the people talk about Zackie was very heart warming. Heather and her family were clearly blessed to have such an amazing little boy be part of their lives for the three and a half short years. And Zack was a lucky little boy to be part of a family who clearly loves him so much. When I lost my mother my daughter had a very hard time understanding why grandma wasn’t here with us anymore. It was difficult explaining to a three year old what death is and what it means. We thought that she understood what it was until one day about six months later she said to us, “I’m done with grandma being dead, when is she coming back already!” She clearly didn’t get it. My heart broke for her all over again. For kids it can be hard to understand what it really means and as parents it’s hard to explain it in terms that they understand. During this difficult time in our family I found a wonderful story that helped my daughter to understand. I wanted to share it will all of you readers and to you, Heather, in the hopes that this can bring some comfort to your boys during this hard time. Waterbugs and Dragonflies by Doris Stickney
| Waterbugs and Dragonflies : Explaining Death to Young Children” Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in awhile one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.“Look!” said one of the water bugs to another. “One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?” Up, up, up it slowly went….Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn’t return… “That’s funny!” said one water bug to another. “Wasn’t she happy here?” asked a second… “Where do you suppose she went?” wondered a third. No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. “I have an idea”. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why.” “We promise”, they said solemnly. One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broke through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above. When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn’t believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings…The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly!! Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before. The dragonfly remembered the promise: “The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why.” Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water… “I can’t return!” he said in dismay. “At least, I tried. But I can’t keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I’ll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they’ll understand what has happened to me, and where I went.” And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air……. |
Please take a moment to read Heather’s blog here: http://tjzmommy.blogspot.com/ Thank you for reading and taking the time to be a part of my MOM TRIBE Much love and warmth, Laura
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