Now's the Perfect Time to Remember Ancestors

My little gnome on Halloween

Reading Storytime Yoga's latest Kids Storybook kit, The Skeleton's Ball, it reminded me that "fall is the time when things are dying and passing away. It’s the time to recognize grief, remember ancestors and others in our life who have died."

On this Halloween night, instead of making up a story at bed, I decided to tell my almost 4-year-old son a little about how Halloween started. Then I told him how at this time of year, many cultures honor their relatives who have passed away. He then got to choose a story about one of our relatives who has passed away.

He chose my Grandpa Davey. It was so touching to tell my son about the sweet memories I have of my kind-spirited Grandpa Davey who lived a simple life as a farmer in rural Ontario. My stories led to more questions from my son's curious brain, such as: why did he have no hair? Why did he smoke? Why did he eat a fried egg everyday? Why was he healthy and lived a long time? Why didn't he have fast food where he lived?

Oh my, it was more educational than I thought! My sugar-crashed brain could barely keep up. But it was a sweet way to end a very memorable Halloween night with my family.

How to prepare my little blue ninja for the realities of life and death,
and the art of war that a good ninja must face

I agree with Storytime Yoga founder Sydney Solis that children need to understand that death is part of life. Too often in American culture, we tend to sugar-coat, and not give death and grief the proper acknowledgement and time it may need.

I want my child to be aware of the natural cycle of life and death, and know about the wide range of emotion that life may bring, so that he will be okay feeling those feelings, not repressing them, should those emotions fall upon him. 

I believe that nothing ever dies, because it was never born. I believe we are eternal.

I love the simple metaphors Sydney uses in her follow up activities in The Skeleton's Ball ebook to help children understand more about life and death. Like this one: Our body is like a car, we step inside it and move around in it for a while, then it wears out because it is of the earth, and we step out of it and look for a new one.

Or, we are like a light bulb. We are the light within the light bulb, not the light bulb itself that wears out.

I can't wait to read my son the two short, simple, yet touching stories included in The Skeleton's Ball kit. The stories are about two families that deal with a death. The stories are timeless and magical. They transport children to a different time and space where they are safe to explore the mysteries of life and death.

I highly recommend Storytime Yoga's Skeleton's Ball story kit, especially if you are seeking creative and engaging ways on how to talk to your child about the mysteries and realities of life and death. The Skeleton's Ball kit will be available shortly for purchase for $9.95. Or you can get it now if you sign up for their Kids Story of the Month Kids Club for $69.95.

Or click here for a chance to win a copy of the Skeleton's Ball story kit by simply leaving a comment on my blog!