You Just Never Know What's Going on in Their Heads

Some of the most interesting and enlightening conversations with the Trouts take place in the car.   Maybe it's the fumes.



The other night, Boy and I were coming home from karate. He pipes up from the backseat, "How old is Luddite Granny?"

"She's 69."

"When will she be 70?"

"In November."

"Will she die then?"


"Um, jeez I hope not. I don't think so. No, I'm pretty sure she won't," I spluttered. And I asked the question asked by only the brave or the foolish. "Why do you ask?"


"Well, Grandpa turned 70 and THEN HE DIED."


Which is perfectly true. My dad turned 70 in March and in the middle of May, he died of lung cancer. He didn't just drop dead of cancer of course. He had been receiving treatment for about a year but it was evident by March that he was losing the battle. We all knew that Dad would not have a 71st birthday. So we did the only thing we could; we had a huge party.


Somehow, and not totally illogically since my Dad's was his first and only experience with death, Boy has gotten it into his head that once you turn 70 you die.  Oops. This had to be rectified.


"Grandpa was very sick. And he just couldn't get better."


"But Luddite Granny's been sick as well," Boy replied. Oh, this just gets better and better. That's true as well. She's been battling pneumonia since Christmas.

"Well, yes that's true but she's getting better."

"Why didn't Grandpa get better?"  Oh my God, can this just end now, please.  Do I start a big explanation about cancer and how insidious it is and even though you receive the latest treatment and put up the fight for your life, you still can't beat it or do I cop out?  Copping out for ten please.

"Jesus wanted Grandpa in heaven. And before you ask, I don't know why, he just did.  Maybe he had some job for Grandpa to do."

Luckily for me, we have arrived home at this point and I can distract him with getting ready for bed. 

 But I learned a couple of things from this conversation;  you have to be careful about what you say around Boy about people being sick and most heart-breakingly, Boy still desperately misses his Grandpa.