There are moments in parenting that catch you completely off guard. Moments that make you pause, smile, and think: Where on earth did that come from? This was one of them.

We were just sitting there, doing nothing special, when Miss J. (age 7 years and 4 months, a very precise and important age) dropped this gem of cosmic wisdom:

“How should I explain it to you, mom? There are actually two skies. One where the sun, the clouds, and the airplanes are… and another sky where all the dead people go.”

Right. Two skies. Of course. Trying not to blink too obviously in awe, I ask, “Okay, but how do those big, heavy airplanes fly up there?”

She gives me a look that suggests this is kindergarten-level stuff.

“That’s so simple. Airplanes have gravitation. So does the sun. The sun is standing in the sky because it has gravitation — otherwise, it would just fall down.”

Obviously.

“And the clouds — don’t even think they’re made of cotton candy.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Nooo? :)”

“Come on, mom. Of course not. Clouds are made of water, flashes of lightning, and thunders. Did you think the rain falls from the sun?!”

Touché.

I dig deeper. “But wait, what exactly is gravitation?”

She sighs, clearly exhausted by my lack of scientific knowledge.

“Gravitation is the thing that makes you stay high in the sky.”

Naturally.

“And… what about the dead people? What do they do up there?”

Without missing a beat:

“Dead people are walking their bones like crazy. They don’t eat, don’t drink, they don’t have any music or sweets. They’re just… calm dead people, that’s it. It’s not funny to be there. Grandma told me.”

I blink. “Grandma told you?”

“Yes. If a friend of yours dies, they go there. And you can visit them. But you have to wait a little bit until you die.”

Simple. Sensible. Slightly unsettling. Completely enchanting.

There you have it. A Tuesday afternoon turned philosophical by a mini-sized astrophysicist, spiritual guide, and storm cloud debunker. Miss J. has a way of making the mysteries of life (and death) sound like a bedtime story — slightly wacky, oddly comforting, and completely unforgettable.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll never look at the sky the same way again 😉