YOU BURNED POPPA?

Out of the mouths of children.

Almost every day one of these two little guys utters something that I promise I will never forget.  (I really do need to write these things down).

We've started decorating for Christmas (well, mostly Dadda Jesse is decorating for Christmas!  Outdoors looks very festive).  And inside is filling up quickly.  He, of course, had to take down a few things to make room and one of those things is a tiny urn of Poppa's ashes.  Braeden was quick to tell me that the 4 inch tall metal container was indeed Poppa's ashes.  He's been hearing that for four years.  Even Deacon knows.

(Kate and I each have the smallest urn pictured)

But what they didn't know was that these were actual ashes.  As my luck would have it, the parents were not handy when this topic came up.  Braeden asked if he could look inside, so we did.  Then he asked what were the ashes from and why did we be reminded of Poppa.  Uh oh.  I had to explain cremation.  

YOU BURNED POPPA?!!!!

Both boys had horrific looks of dismay.  Their little minds thinking I tied him at the stake and set him aflame!  I told them after Poppa died and I gave him his last kiss, the funeral company has a special place where dead people are cremated until all that is left is a little bit of ashes.  Poppa wanted this to happen so we could take some of his ashes and sprinkle them so he would always be part of that place.

Fortunately, by then Dadda returned inside and we continued the talk.  We want to be cremated also.  Cemeteries take up a lot of space and that land could be better used for building apartments for homeless people or people who don't have quite enough money.  Or make a cool playground.

Then there were questions about did cremation hurt Poppa?  Did I get the right ashes?  Where have I sprinkled him?  Could they help sprinkle him.  And so on.

I will never, ever forget the horrified look on their faces as Braeden yelled "You BURNED Poppa?"