How to Tell Little Red Riding Hood that We Killed the Big Bad Wolf
“Like when my little sister hits me because she doesn’t understand she can’t have my things in my room?”
“Yes. Kind of like that. Mommy and Daddy teach you and your sister to make better choices to work out problems instead of hitting or throwing things, right?”
“Yea. But she doesn’t always listen. But why did that man want to kill all those people?”
I had no idea what wisdom was about to pass over my lips but I thank the stars in heaven for what I did say.
“I don’t know why he thought that but I do know one thing for sure: After that terrible thing happened, the people in our world came together to help one another. Instead of getting afraid, which is one thing I think Mr. bin Laden wanted, for us to become scared of living in the world, we were brave. So, while that man did a very bad thing, and it is sad so many people died, we learned no one could take away our freedom to think and to act in really good and loving ways toward other people. You know to help our friends and family and neighbors here in Cromwell and other parts of the big world we live in.”
She stared out the window for a moment. I asked if she was ready to get out of the car.
“One more thing, Mommy. Who killed the bin Laden man?”
The heavens intervened once more as my daughter spotted a butterfly dancing across the stone walkway. She dashed from the car, leaving with “be right back Mom.”
I was relieved that I did not have to explain the only answer that I could have given to her last question: “We did.”
My daughter hasn’t brought up bin Laden since that week in early May. Consequently, I don’t know if anything I said made any sense to my little girl. And I don’t know exactly what I will say to her if (when) she does ask me why our country sent in Mystery S.E.A.L. Team 6 to kill him. After all, there isn’t a child development book in the world that deals with how to tell Little Red Riding Hood the Big Bad Wolf is dead. And, maybe those are the terms my husband and I will have to use; the conversation with my daughter going something like this:
“Sometimes people in real life act like the monsters in fairy tales. And sometimes, in real life, we have to send in heroes and warriors-men and women-to help get the monster under control. But when the monsters keep fighting, because there is so much evil in their hearts, the good guys and gals have to get really tough. They may try to catch the person and put them in jail for a long time. But if that person keeps trying to hurt others, then the heroes have to stop him and that may mean hurting this other person the way the hunter kills the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood.”
