"mummy, what does dying mean?"

"mummy, what does dying mean?," nadia asked.
"it means when the body, mind, spirit and soul are preparing to die," she said.
"how does it prepare to die, mummy?," her young child asked.
"many ways," she explained, "one is, it begins to shut down as sometimes `tis not strong enough to live yet another day or week or year. also sometimes, someone is very, very ill and their illness kills them."

nadia pondered and pondered and pondered.

she then asked, "why are so many grownups afraid to die?," the little girl asked wide-eyed as she looked up and into her mother's green eyes as she asked this extraordinary question for such a young one.
"perhaps `tis as simple as fear of the unknown or that dying hurts or that they are not ready to leave this life," she answered.
"i am not afraid to die, mummy, as i do not believe that i could owie any worse than when i tumble off my bicycle onto the hard pavement," the child said smiling to her mum.
her mother laughed; "as speed demony as you are, nadia, you may just be right!"

`t. imaan tretchicovmanicova
18feb09
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