{Rinoa and I were in the bathroom one morning getting ourselves ready to start the day. The night before, Rinoa woke up crying and complaining that her ear hurt.}

Mommy: {Putting toothpaste on Rinoa’s toothbrush} How are you feeling? Does your ear still hurt?
Rinoa: {Getting ready to brush her teeth} No. I feel better.
Mommy: Good. I don’t like it when you’re in pain.
Rinoa: Well, I don’t want you to die.

{Rinoa has this fear of Troy and I dying and not being with us anymore. We’ve had several similar conversations about death before and, every time, I would make her understand that it is not something to be feared. But this particular morning, I strayed from my usual reply.}

Mommy: I’m not going to die!
Rinoa: You are when you’re old.
Mommy: I’m not that old!
Rinoa: But you will be.
Mommy: And so will you.
Rinoa: Yes, but I’m far from getting old.

{Rinoa found a small black box in the drawer and was curious about it.}

Rinoa: Mommy, what’s in this box?
Mommy: A keychain.
Rinoa: Whose is it?
Mommy: It’s Daddy’s.
Rinoa: Where did he get it?
Mommy: He got it from —
Rinoa: Oh, I know! From China! I didn’t know Daddy went to China.
Mommy: Daddy didn’t go to China and {confused} why do you say it’s from China?
Rinoa: Because in the back it says ‘made in China’.

Mica with Dexter

Con mucho amor,