A three year old's perspective on death:

As we drive past a cemetery, scarlett looks on, puzzled. "That's a cemetery" I tell her. "They bury dead people there."

Scarlett looks and thinks, her brow furrowed and eyes focused, trying to process what I just told her. "Why do they bury dead people?" she finally asks.

"Because, it's just what we do. When people die, they start to stink and fall apart, so we put them in the ground." I tell her.

Scarlett pauses for a few moments more, and then says "I don't want to be buried in the ground when I die. I will get dirty and I will get dirt in my eyes."

I tell her she is probably right, and that she's pretty smart for thinking about things so logically. I tell her she doesn't have to be put in the ground when she dies. Then I explain cremation, which is quite a task to iterate to a young child, but I basically say "It's where dead bodies get burned up and then your ashes get stored in a vase."

Clearly way too close to the beginning of life to think about the end of it, Scarlett stays silent, probably wondering what I could possibly be talking about. I turn up the music again. We continue our car ride to Wal-mart where she runs straight to the Halloween section, and picks out a ghost costume.