I know you all enjoyed reading one of my conversations with Elise. Here is another one that I hope you enjoy. This occurred just a few days ago and as you will see, part of it really tugged at my heart. To understand the context of this “discussion” you will need to know that Elise spent part of her afternoon with a 7 month old baby and then also with an 8 month pregnant lady. On our way home in the car she brought up babies again:

Elise: “Maybe someday we could have another baby.”

Mommy: “You would really like a baby, wouldn’t you? I would like that too.”

Elise: “Maybe we could keep it for a long time.”

Mommy: “You mean longer than we had Emma?”

Elise: “Yeah. We could take it to Grandma’s house and show it to Grandma and Pop. And we could take it to Nana’s house and show it to Nana and Pop.” (I wonder if she doesn’t remember Emma ever being at Nana or Grandma’s house?)

Mommy: “Yes, I’m sure they would like that.”

The conversation went on for awhile. Elise decided that the way babies come is that Jesus has to put the baby in Mommy’s tummy. I decided that that had enough truth in it for it to be a good enough explanation for her. Then we started talking about crying:

Elise: “I am a big girl, but sometimes I cry a little bit.”

Mommy: “Sometimes I cry too.”

Elise: “Yeah, you cry when a baby goes to heaven.”

Mommy: “Yes, that does make me sad.”

Elise: “Maybe if we have another baby you will cry when it goes to heaven.” (This prompted some discussion on how we hoped that the baby would not go to heaven for a long time, but that everyone eventually goes to heaven when God decides it is time. For some that is a short time like Emma, for others a long time like Elise’s great-grandpa)

Elise: “Where is heaven?” (That being the first time she has asked that question, I wasn’t sure how to answer.)

Mommy: “Heaven is a long way away, and we can’t see it.”

Elise: “Are there animals in heaven?”

Mommy: “I think so. But you know all the animals in heaven are good animals. None of them are mean.”

Elise: “Are there snakes in heaven?”

Mommy: “Probably, but they don’t bite. You can’t hold snakes here because sometimes they bite, but in heaven they don’t bite.”

Elise found this concept interesting and we discussed this until we got home.