Why is Mommy Sad?

Jenny was picked up from school by her neighbor, Dena, today instead of mommy; perhaps mommy had a headache or was late from an appoinment. When the car drove up to the neighbor's house across the street she noticed alot of cars parked every where; a sick weird sort of funny feeling rolled around in her tummy. Like the time she ate a corn dog, cotton candy, a big snow cone, and rode the roller coaster with her big brother Billy last Summer.

Jenny bearly had time to push open the front door when her Uncle Dave's huge muscular arm held it open as he went for her and scooped her up like a doll in one of those crane machines. She was startled and scared by the big drops of tears falling from his eyes; as a matter of fact, everyone in the house was sobbing!

Jenny scanned the room quickly for her mom, but mom was no where to be found. She quickly wiggled and wriggled until that little five year old managed to squirm out of Uncle Dave's arms, she yelled loud and hard. "Mommy!" as she ran down the hall looking and screaming every step of the way. There, in the bedroom, huddled on the bed, was her mom, sobbing.

Everyone was trying to usher Jenny out of the room, saying that she was too young to understand. How could she understand when no one would explain what everyone was crying about? Why was all these people in her home? Why was her mommy so sad? What could possibly happen so bad that could make so many people cry so hard?

later that evening, Jenny's Daddy came home from his business trip, Jenny was so glad to see him. Maybe he would tell her why mommy as so sad?There was some talk about grandma, sometimes everyone would laugh and then they would start to cry again. Jenny overheard someone say Grandma was gone. But where did she go and if grandma left, why didn't she take her big funny carpet bag? It was very confusing. Jenny went into Grandma's room and just sat on her big chair. She sat there and rocked back and forth and rubbed her soft quilt that grandma made years ago. Jenny took the quilt, dragged it into momy's room, and handed it to mommy.

"Is Grandma going to take this with her when she goes?" Asked Jenny with a soft gentle smile.

Everyone in the room made a loud noise and took a deap breath in! Jenny's face turned flat and her eyes went big. Everyone looked with a disaproving gaze. Jenny's eyes teared up. She had no idea what she had said to make everyone look so funny, and not in that clown sort of way, but in that, I have a sick tummy way.

Daddy took Jenny and picked her up sweetly and carried her off for a talk.
"Hi sweet-pea" daddy said with a kiss on her damp cheek. "It's been a crazy day huh?" Jenny just nodded her head as she nuzzled into his chest. "Daddy needs to talk to you about Grandma, and about something else too." He continued. "Do you know what death is?"Jenny looked a little puzzled. and said.
"I'm not to sure daddy. On TV, I hear it, but I don't really know what it is."

"Do you remember the little herb garden you grew last summer?" AskDaddy.
Jenny nodded her head."Yes, Daddy."

"Well, remember when we first planted the seeds, and they grew, they needed water, sunlight, food, and someone to take care of them?" He added.

"Yes, I Do Remember." Replied Jenny.

"Do you know what happens when they don't get what they need, or if they were sick?" Asked Daddy.

Jenny scratched her auburn hair and scrunched up her nose. "I don't know daddy, we ate them remember?"
Daddy laughed. "oh yeah...I guess we did." Well, back to the subject. Daddy tried hard to stay on task. "Honey, every growing thing lives and every growing thing will die. trees, plants,birds, dogs, cats, fish, ...."
Jenny interupts" Even my gold fish fluffy?"
"Yes, Jenny, someday, even Fluffy will die too." continues daddy " When things and people die, they are gone and can not come back. We can keep their memory in our hearts and in our minds, we can remember how much they loved us and all the fun things they did, we can smile when we remember them and yes, we can even cry when we miss them."
Jenny looked up at daddy and then at Grandma's chair. "Daddy?"
Daddy looked over his glasses at Jenny."Yes, Sweet-pea"
"Is Grandma Dead?" Jenny asked as she rubbed her chair.
Daddy scooped Jenny up and gave her a hug and said..."Yes." They both cried. "Daddy," Jenny asked with a sniffle while her little nose dripped. "are you and Mommy going to die too?" Daddy sighed and said. "Someday, we will, but I think it will be after we are very old, and have lived to see you grow up to be a mommy , doctor, baseball player or whatever you want when you get big!.""We all are born, and we all will die someday, that is life. The wonderful thing about it all is, we have one another, we have love, and have beautiful memories, and pictures we can pull out and share from days of yesterday that will make us smile again."
Jenny smiled. She ran to the closet and got her baby book, took it out and grabbed the picture of grandma holding her when she was born. "Look daddy, Grandma is happy here! Can I take this to show mommy?"
Daddy nodded yes; Jenny took the picture and went into mommy's room.