Birth, Death and God: How Could one Explain DEATH to one’s own Children

Birth and Death: The Magics of the Calendar

By Kur Wël Kur, Adelaide, Australia

Thursday, March 17, 2022 (PW) — God, out of nowhere, from anywhere, or in everywhere, is magical and mysterious. We—the thinking humans—try to explain the existence, or the absence of “Duchiek”, the Dinka name for the Creator, in the existence, or the absence of what we see, feel, hear, or think, but every time, we settle on Something (or Someone) that fits our little knowledge of the universe.

So, nothing could explain the existence of “Nhialic”, another Dinka name for God, than birth and death, and how the calendar accounts for them. Us (humans) believing in life after death, is a direct belief for THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. 

However, how could one explain DEATH to one’s own children? 

I was driving my three girls (ages: 10, 8, and 5) to school, a Christian founded school, so it bears Catholic in its name. As I have lost interest in music, especially those songs that ring no chords in me, I like to listen to the audiobooks, or some crazy, or interesting Facebook live shows a friend recommended, the lords of vlogging on Facebook.

But all my girls, the three school-going girls, love listening to Nova {on Frequency Modulation (FM) MHz (megahertz) 91.90—Nova entertainment}, a South Australian radio station.

The channel airs funny stories and some serious stories every morning. Every story is followed by a great song— a soulful song. My dearest daughters love Ben & Liam’s (the hosts’) songs selection.

On this particular day, the morning of 02/02/2022, the hosts were talking to the callers about this special date on the CALENDAR. My daughters joined the conversation, discussing among themselves the implication and importance of the date.

“The next date like it, is 03/03/3033!” I said.

Without the slightest hesitation, my second daughter announced it: “we would be dead by then”! 

And the silence seemed to have kicked our existence out of the car. We sank into a ghost-quiet mood. I threw a sideway glances to my other two daughters (the first and the third), and avoiding the look on my second daughter’s face, the one who made the announcement. What I saw was…

 I saw on their faces what begged for any parental advice, whether a lie, or the truth, it won’t matter, but if they (lie, or truth) could work in clearing that look on their faces, my heart would be gladdened.

“Death isn’t a bad thing, I began; it seems scary because no one understands it, but it might be like when you were in your Mummy’s tommy, there was no place like it (cozy womb where you were swimming all days, all nights). But when you popped out and you saw a heaven full of magical, wonderful and beautiful things you didn’t know including the face of your own mother! Maybe after death, there is a whole magical place on the other side”, I finished.

The deathlike looks on their faces was totally erased, and smiles were dimpling in the corners of their mouths. At that high note, I was glad to add no more parental lies. My brief silence was made sweet by their getting off at the drop off site. I waved them goodbye and sped away.

On my way home, I thought of how we (the grownups) don’t understand the whole thing—the calendar and cycle of life. 

 However, if one finds him/herself in a position of authority, one mumbles out any sort of explanation in absolute surety just to make sense of his/her position. But we all know that no one on this earth knows anything after death.

Be safe, be curious, be on the search.

The author, Kur Wel Kur, holds a Bachelor of Science (Genetics and Zoology) from Australian National University—ANU in Canberra, Australia, and can be reached via his email: kurwelkur77@gmail.com

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