Today in the car Morning Edition was talking about a sacred site in India, and the person being interviewed referenced Jesus. From the backseat: "MOM, Jesus is real! That man just said so!"
"Some people believe that, but others do not." "I believe in Jesus!" "Me, too, but not everyone does, and it was so long ago that it is hard to know who is right."

Thirty seconds or so of silence.

"Was ancient Egypt real?" "Yes." "Can you still have that thing done that they did for dead kings?" "I suppose you could be mummified, but Texas is too humid for that. It won't work right here. Most people here are embalmed and buried, or cremated, but there are other cool things you can do! Like a Mushroom burial, or being buried under a tree to help it grow."

We talked a little bit more about the logistics of burial: How it is different for a person compared to our pets; coffins; how the hole a coffin goes in is very, very deep.

"Mom, if I die I want to be buried under a tree with flowers." "Oh, honey, I don't think you have to think about that for a long, long time."

Quiet.

"If I die while I'm little I want to be buried in the backyard so that you can always be near me."

Heart. Broken. It's been four hours and I'm still emotional.