Water Bugs & Dragonflies

At the moment Brandon does not seem to be affected by the passing of his Nan this weekend, but Joshua on the other hand is trying to comprehend and understand what has happened. St Lukes Hospice gave me a parents guidance leaflet to help with young children, but even better than that they gave me a book called "Water Bugs & Dragonflies - explaining death to young children". The book is fantastic and gives a really good analogy that you can use with young children to try and help them understand death, So far I have read it through for the boys twice and I think this will become our special "Little Nanny Book".

 

At the back of the book there is a lovely little prayer which actually brought a little tear to Joshua;s eye tonight. The prayer is:

 

Thank you, God, for the story of the water bugs

and dragonflies. Thank you for the miracle

that makes shiny dragonflies out of water bugs.

Please remember Nan who has left the

pond we live in. Give her a good life, too,

in a wonderful new world of sun and air. And

then remember me, and let me someday be with her.

AMEN.

 

Nanny on a recent trip to Hendon Air Museum with her favourite helicopter, the Chinook.

Being attacked by the large inflatable dinosaur that Auntie Nicky bought Joshua.

 

It is funny how toddler minds work and try and apply logic to such scenario's. It gets very difficult to answer some of the questions so soon after the death of Mum/Nan but here are a few examples of what he has asked me so far:

 

"Daddy, it is so sad that your Mummy died. You don't have a Mummy now do you? Will you get another Mummy now?" - to answer this I told Joshua that you only ever have one Mummy and that I still have a Mum, it is just that she is now in heaven.

 

"Dad, what do angels looks like? You told me you would show me a picture tonight? Has Nanny arrived in heaven yet or is she still flying there?"