Mr Red Ears Author:Phoebe M. Anderson, Illus. by Reed Champion from the author: — Dear Mother and Dad: — Death is a puzzling and sometimes emotionally distressing experience to a three-year-old, as indeed it is to all of us. The child cannot understand what has happened. He will ask many questions, perhaps over a period of months, in an attempt to discover some meaning behind the experience. — The meaning th... more »at death has for you and the way you feel about it very likely will be the meaning death has for your child. He probably will grasp the way you feel about it and internalize the meaning whether you say anything or not.
We cannot declare the immortality of turtles or of any pets. But as Christians we believe that death is the door to a larger, fuller, more creative life. It is appropriate that joy and a note of celebration should be a part of the ritual of burial.
Amy, as she buried Mr. Red Ears, played with her pretty stone markers and sang and sang. That is as it should be. Life and death are of a piece. They are related and go on at the same time.
The death of a person close to the three-year-old calls for wise and sensitive handling. It may also be a time when you can grow in your own understanding of death. Consult your pastor for help. he can give you some reading help as well as good counsel.« less