Death
If you go for a walk in the park at different times of the year, you will notice the leaves on the trees look different.
They have a life cycle.
In the spring they begin to grow and are lush vibrant green colours. In the autumn they begin to die and turn golden reds, yellows and brown colours.
Everything living has its own life cycle. And that includes us.
Death is simply a part of life.
When people get very old, they die. Sometimes people die when they get sick and doctors cannot fix them.
When you die, you are dead. It is a hard word to say, isn’t it? Not hard to pronounce, really but hard to make yourself say.
Maybe because it’s a sad word…even a little frightening.
What does it mean?
Many people find saying the words ‘death’ and ‘died’ hard to say, so they use different words to talk about someone dying.
Sometimes this can be confusing if you do not understand what they really mean.
Let’s pretend Pip’s friend Mint has died:
“Mint has passed away”
This sounds like I might come back but I won’t
“I’m sorry you’ve lost Mint”
This sounds like I might be found somewhere but I won’t be
“Mint use has gone to sleep”
This sounds like I am just sleeping but I’m not
“Mint has gone to a better place”
This sounds like I has gone somewhere nicer but I haven’t gone anywhere