Squirrels

One morning, last week, when I took the kids to the bus stop, there was a chubby squirrel that had, I believe, fallen to it's death. There was no blood or anything so I think it must've fallen from the telephone pole or had a run in with the electricity from the power lines they like to run on. Anyway, regardless of how it died, it fell on it's back and looked as though it was sleeping. Our son was very concerned. Every squirrel he had seen dead before had been gone by morning. Well, this one wasn't. It was there every day last week and he became more and more concerned. He was in charge of the lesson for family home evening on Sunday and he wanted to discuss the squirrel. So, we talked about how when we die, our bodies stay here for now and our spirits go to heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus. We even showed and example of a squirrel and a squirrel spirit to help him understand. So, on Monday when it was time for school we walked to the bus stop and the squirrel's body was still there. Jared was very concerned and seemed somewhat confused and sad. "It didn't go up with Heavenly Father," he said. So, after the bus left, I walked back over and removed the squirrel. Yuck!

Monday night as we watched scriptures (it's more effective for us to watch the scriptures as a family than read them - for the sake of my son) we learned about Jesus and how he was crucified and then resurrected. A picture of Jesus came up on the screen where he was ascending into heaven and the painter of the picture had painted one hand up in the air, which was off the screen. I said, "Look Jared, it's Jesus and he's going up to heaven". Jared looked very closely at the picture and then said, "is He holding the squirrel?" (It obviously was still a great concern for him!)

So, this morning, we went back out to the bus stop and, of course, the squirrel was gone because I had removed it the day before, but Jared didn't know so he had to go look. He walked around the telephone pole and saw the spot where the squirrel was and that it was gone and he looked as though he had the most overwhelming amount of relief just flood over him. And he said, "The squirrel is gone. It went to heaven." He was so happy.

I hope I NEVER have to touch a dead squirrel again - eww! - but for the joy and relief it brought my son to know that it was in heaven it was worth the few seconds of eww!