There are moments in our lives that no amount of explaining will bring understanding. Sometimes it must be experienced to be understood.

Saddened by the loss of my husband’s grandfather, we attended the funeral this past week. He had lived on my in-law’s farm, so my children knew him well and loved him as much as I did.

Before the funeral I had explained to my youngest that Great Grandpa had died. My older children were sad from the news, but my youngest shrugged his shoulders in an “okeydokey” kind of way and ran off to play.

At the viewing my youngest kept asking if he could open Grandpa’s eyes. He had always been quite the teaser, so my son thought maybe he was trying to play a joke on him.

Mortified, I wanted to strangle him, but my father-in-law reached him first.

I don’t know what he told my son but the change in his face was heartbreaking. Nothing my husband or I did could comfort his uncontrollable sobs for the rest of the evening. I had tried to prepare him, but the finality of death was something his mind couldn’t grasp until he saw his beloved grandpa in his casket. A bittersweet day for us all.