Memorial Day

So this weekend I was telling Gabe that we should check out the cemetery behind our house (right around the corner from us) to see the beautiful flowers that people would be putting on the graves. He wanted me to explain things. So I explained that Memorial Day was a holiday where we would remember the people we loved, our family and friends - who have died. I explained that specifically the people who have served in our military.



He said, "People are going to DIE??"



I explained that older people die - like Cory's grandpa Harding died a few years ago. I said someday we would all die and return to our Heavenly Father. I tried explaining on 2-year old terms about how we are forever families, and how when we die we get to be with people we love, and hopefully our Heavenly Father. He gave a very sympathetic, "Ohhhh.....People die there".



I realized I was just digging myself into a bigger hole, but I explained that people don't DIE at the cemetry, but they are put in boxes AFTER they die, and are buried at the cemetry.



So yesterday morning we were driving into town to get donuts (our Memorial Day breakfast tradition) - and we drove past the city cemetry (not the one behind our house, but the big one in Cedar). The flowers were beautiful and I said, "Gabe - look at all the pretty flowers".



He looked thoughtful and said, "But Mom - where are all the boxes?"



Cory and I were confused and asked what he meant. He said, "The boxes that people go in when they die. I don't see any boxes." (He was talking about caskets).



So we explained that the boxes are in holes that they dig (really - where did I get the bright idea to try to explain Memorial Day to a 2 year old!?!?) and then the graves are in the ground.



Then he said, "Yeah, our grandma's and grandpa's will die someday. And so will Aunt Julia. But it's ok, because we love them all and then we'll see Heavenly Father."



So I guess in a way he gets it....(although I'm not quite sure why just grandparents and poor Julia are going to die....)



So I hope as we celebrated our loved ones who have passed on that we can all remember the beauty of the Plan of Salvation, and the gift of eternal families. I feel so blessed that we have these beliefs!