Truth

My six-year-old heard a story on the radio this afternoon, about the reopening of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minnesota after its' collapse last year. He asked if anyone was hurt when the bridge collapsed — I told him that yes, that several people were injured and some were killed.

Not too long ago, I would have avoided the issue altogether, or I might tried to tell him that no one had been seriously hurt. He went through a phase not too long ago where he would become overly concerned with the possibility of catastrophe — a thunderstorm, or a lightning strike that might cause a tree to come down, or even a tornado. This would become a regular topic of conversation (he'd always want to be reassured) and a part of his pretend play (his way of working through his anxiety). But he's past that now, he seems more secure. I didn't even hesitate in answering his question.

There is a lingering part of me that can't help but wonder if I've made the right choice, if six years old isn't a bit too early to confront such difficult truth. I know he doesn't really understand what it all means — but perhaps just enough, in his own way.