project.chameleon

So.

Oreo's story:

On Tuesday I took Child Numero Uno to Mr. Lifsey's home to retrieve a pair of his pants. While there, I was told that Numero Uno's dog had been hit by a car. This just after we had to have the Shaker Baker put to sleep last month. This, when he still doesn't know the Puckster is gone.

This, was going to be rough to explain.

Knowing that Numero Uno wouldn't be at Mr. Lifsey's home until Thursday night ... I waited. I probably should have told him right away, but I know he would be devastated and I didn't have the words. So I waited.

Thursday afternoon I sat Numero Uno down and told him that I had some bad news we needed to discuss. He looked like he thought I was joking, like maybe I might have some really cool news and was trying to be playful. Ouch. As gently as I could, I told Uno that Oreo had been hit by a car and that he was no longer with us. Immediately, Child Numero Dos pipes up.

"So Oreo is dead. Dead like Shaykee. He got runned over by a car and went up to Heaven. God planned for him to get him by a car, so it's okay!"

At this point, Uno is very distraught but refusing (as always) to cry. He holds himself, won't look up, and breathes heavily.

I try to tell him that I know it hurts, I know it's rough, I know we can't understand why it happened but that God takes every thing we see as bad and intends it for good, and so in some way, something good will come of Oreo's death.

Uno gets into my lap and holds onto me for a while before saying he'll just share Horse with me now. He then goes off to play with our lumbering lab.

Later, when Mr. Lifsey brings the little men home, Uno tells me that Oreo died on a Sunday and that's a special day so he knows God is taking care of him in Heaven.

Dos then bounds into the room yelling, "And Oreo never even died, he just went right on living with God."

Amazing how little lessons can be so big.