How To Explain Death To Your Children

Parenting isn’t easy.

It’s especially challenging when you have to explain death to your children.

Sunday morning, we received the unexpected news that one of Leanne’s good high school friends had passed away following her battle with breast cancer.  Tuesday afternoon, we drove to Latrobe, PA for the viewing, and we drove home Wednesday afternoon after the funeral service and some time with friends.

Leanne’s friend was only 41 years old, and she left behind her husband and three elementary aged children.

It seems like such a young ago to die.

As we were leaving the viewing on Tuesday evening, we ran into some old friends.  As we stood outside the funeral home catching up, someone asked “If you were her husband, how would you explain this death to your kids?”

Leanne and I talked about this question later on, and here are some of my thoughts:

Death stinks, and it doesn’t seem to make sense that life would end so early for such a nice person.

Losing your mother doesn’t at all seem fair.  And cancer sucks.

The reality is we are all going to die some day.  We don’t know when it will be.  We hope for a long and fulfilling life, but sometimes things happen which lead to a shorter life than we expected for us or for our loved ones.

Since we don’t know when our time on this earth will come to an end, it’s important we make the most of every opportunity to live, to love, and to laugh.

It’s also important that we make our relationships a priority especially our relationships with family members and with Jesus Christ.

As long as we are following Jesus, we don’t need to fear death.  He has promised us a place in heaven if we follow him.

Your mother loved you and she loved Jesus, and I believe she is in heaven where she doesn’t have to deal with cancer any more. 

We will miss her. 

She wants you to be happy, and she wants you to know you are loved.  Remember her smiles.  Remember her hugs.  And remember the way she loved.

As I observed her husband at the viewing and at the funeral, it looks like he is doing an incredible job speaking into the lives of his children.

Please pray for him and his three young children over the next days, weeks, and months as they navigate life without their wife and mother.

How would you answer the question?  (If you were her husband, how would you explain this death to your kids?)

(To read more about Leanne’s friend, click here.)