Heaven help me!

A few months ago, JP's preschool class talked about pets. I searched through all of our photographs to make a social story about our cat, Devlin. It was actually kind of heart wrenching because I came across several pictures of JP playing with the cat up until shortly before he turned 2. At the time of diagnosis (age 3) we realized that JP showed little awareness that the cat even existed.

Unfortunately, we had to put Devlin to sleep a few weeks after JP showed his preschool class the pictures. Truthfully, Dev had been sick for a number of years and it was his time. Still it was hard to do. JP has been fortunate in that he has not lost a loved one yet. Perhaps I was a coward but I figured we would address the topic if Dev's departure ever registered with him.

Devlin passed away in September. Last week JP and I were playing in the living room and out of the blue he said, "Where is Devlin?". I was shocked and yet thrilled that he had noticed Devlin's disappearance and then even articulated the question!

So I sat down with him and told him that Devlin was in Heaven. I asked him if he knew where Heaven was? He didn't answer so I pointed out the window and asked if he saw the clouds. He said he did. So I explained that Devlin now lives in that blue space above the clouds. I told him that Devlin had gotten really sick and that God had decided it was time for him to come live in Heaven with him.

His response was, "When he falls out of the sky...he will come back to the basement?"