My daughter went through a phase recently when she first realized that all living things inevitably, unfortunately, and sadly, die. She started constantly asking us “will I die” questions. As in, Daddy, if I eat this candy that fell on the floor, will I die? Daddy, if I get cat hair in my mouth, will I die? Daddy, if I fall off my bike, will I die?
These questions seem easy to answer–of course not, honey, you’ll be fine–but behind them, is a bigger truth that’s not easy to talk about. No, eating candy off the floor won’t kill you. But, at some point, yes, you will die.
Yikes.
I often wonder if I’m being too protective or too restrictive with my children, especially my daughter. When should I let her bike across the neighborhood to her friend’s house? I still don’t know. We wrote her a song to help her (and us) think about all this, and she helped make a video to go with it. I think it speaks for itself. It’s called, “Honey, You’ll Be Fine (Will I Die)”. My favorite line is: “never date a boy who rides a motorcycle…then you’ll be fine.” Check it out. Show it to your kids and let me know what they think. Best, Andy.
Tall Trees Grow Deep 