Gone too soon

The hardest thing in many people's lives is loosing loved ones before what we deem is 'their time'.  My eldest is getting to an age where she is becoming interested in celebrities and all the circus that surrounds them and their lives.  This means we are inevitably going to have some rough conversations.

She has enjoyed watching 'Glee' for a while now and when the news broke that Cory Monteith  has passed away she was searching the web for the stories behind the tragedy.  That is what situations like this are - a tragedy.   A young man, taken from this world before 'his time',  tearing family and loved ones apart.  Stories like these bring up conversations that I feel are right and healthy to have with my daughter.  We discussed the stories online, she came up with a few ideas of why.  As she looked deeper into the story she discovered that Cory had been in rehab.  I explained that that does not mean that his past is related in anyway to what caused his death but here started a conversation about drugs and alcohol.

My daughter asked a lot of questions which I deem as healthy.  I am of the opinion that the more children know the less likely they are to try and find out for themselves.  I am not saying 5 year olds need to know about the birds and the bees but if the question is asked, you should never lie to your child; you just put it into appropriate context and language for them.  Back to the subject in hand, alcohol and drugs.  My daughter wanted to know how this affects the body after you have gotten 'clean'.  What an interesting question!  This allowed me to tell her about bodies not always responding they way they use to, how bodies are no longer resilient to the same level of alcohol and drug abuse and that is how she came to understand.  No matter how famous, rich or clever you are, everyone starts out with the same basic body.  What you chose to do with it is your decision.  If you abuse it, it takes time to heal.  Even after the healing process, some bodies just are not the same.  She saw the full circle of what drug and alcohol abuse can do to you even after you think you are 'clean'.