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I am not adverse to discussing death with my son; loss and grief have been part of his life long before he was born.  So when it came time to discuss Osama Bin Laden with him, he was very matter of fact given the severity of what I was explaining.  He understands about consequences and that bad people (hopefully) pay for their crimes against others and humanity.  It didn’t shock him in the least that OBL was killed, considering what he has done to our country.  He actually wanted to know what took so long?  I was struck slightly by his response as he moved through the discussion quite rapidly, revealing his curiosity about the “how” it all happened.  I am very open and honest with my answers, and often wonder if I put too much on him to digest at such a young age.  But the truth is,  it’s our reality and I would rather have him face it and do his best to understand it, as opposed to be in denial and naive about the world in which we live.   So his blaze’, unemotional reaction was actually his deep understanding of “cause and effect” not to be confused with a lack of sympathy.

In fact, as I described what occurred (age appropriate, of course), emphasizing the bravery of the Navy Seals and the military, my son was concerned about the other people in the compound, and whether or not any Americans were hurt during the attack.  He asked a lot of questions about safety and if the war was over now.  I am proud of him for his consideration of others and his methodical approach to a very difficult subject.

We did not cheer the assassination of OBL, but used it as an opportunity to talk about our country, our beliefs, our differences, and our honor.  We talked about history (Hitler, JFK, terrorism) and the difference between right and wrong and living a just life.

Who would have thought that bath time would have been this cleansing.