Lessons in Life

Today I had the opportunity to teach my kids an important lesson about life, or rather the lack there of. Death. To give you a little background, for Family Night each month we pick a topic to discuss though out the month, then tie it into something gospel related. For example in January we learned about hands then talked about the Saviors hands. For March we choose animals. Earlier this month we talked about how some animals help us and what they do, such as cows gives us milk and meat. Sheep give us wool and so forth. This week we talked about animals that are more for our fun and enjoyment, such as pets. We thought it would also be a great time to bring in the art of learning more responsibility and have the kids take care of a pet. While we would love a dog, we are not quite ready for one just yet. So we took the kids to the local Wal-Mart and let them pick out some fish. This morning as you may have guessed, we found one dead. When it came time to flush the fish down the toilet. Emma and Seth began asking questions about the fish. Like wear it was going? Would it come back? Is it just sleeping with it's eyes open? Who would watch the fish and take care of it? I saw a great lesson about death could be learned, so I sat them both down and told them that the fish had died. That we have a spirit and a body, when we die our body stays here on earth and our spirit goes to Heaven. In this case I told them that the fish went to fishy heaven. Emma with her tender little heart got all chocked up, told the fish she would miss it and then started to cry. There was not much I could do but hold her. Seth then chimed in and asked, did he (the fish) die just like Jesus, mom. I told him yes. He smiled a little smile, then said, then he will be okay. Then just like that they were both asking if dad could bring home another fish that they could name Aleeo Jr. after the fish (Aleeo) that died. By the way Emma named the fish.
Kids really are the greatest teachers. Here I was thinking how great of a mom I was for seizing the opportunity to teach my children about death, when in reality they were teaching me. Yes, I may have taught them a little about life and death this morning, but Seth reminded me of a greater lesson. One that means so much more then life and death. A lesson that really maters That when we do as the Savior has done, we will be just fine. For just like the Savior did only what He saw His Father do, we to must follow in the footprints of the Savior. Even until death, and then some. Life will always go one, what matters most is how we spend the time we are given. If we are doing our best to do as the Savior has done, then we will be just fine.