Life Lessons from a Three Year Old

When my daughter was three her pet goldfish, Max, died.

I was so sad for her as she really loved this little fish and it was her first experience with anything death related so I wasn’t really sure how she would handle it.

She seemed very quiet and solemn so I did what every mum does, I called my mum for advice!

She thought that maybe having a ceremony like a burial might help her grieve and open up discussion about the circle of life and what happens to us when we die (in a three year old way).

So the funeral was on. We got out our good ‘going to Church with Grandma’ clothes, put little black strips of fabric on as arm bands, played some uplifting but respectful music, gathered some flowers and headed down to the garden with Max resting in his toilet roll tube coffin.

We looked around the garden for a nice spot where the dog wouldn’t dig, somewhere that Max might like.

We dug a little grave and scattered the obligatory handful of dirt over poor little Max.

We stood in silence for a moment as I desperately tried to remember the next item on the list of service for most funerals

“Would you like to say a prayer for Max?” I asked my daughter.

She gravely nodded, closed her eyes and clasped her hands together and proceeded to say the only prayer that her Lutheran Grandparents had drilled into her

“Come Lord Jesus be our guest, and let this food to us be blessed.”

Well, the effort of not laughing had the tears rolling from my eyes and my whole body was shaking.

She lifted her arms to cuddle me and then, patting me on the back whispered ‘It’s ok Mum, it’s only a goldfish,

I’ll get you another one”