Turn turn turn

Spring is unfolding all around us. When the kids wake up from their afternoon naps, there is lots of time before dark to go for a walk around the neighborhood, ride bikes down the street, or just play in the backyard before dinner time. We have two bird feeders- one for finches and one for hummingbirds. We planted some veggies, and the flowers are waking up in every corner. Zoe has noticed a couple of fuzzy caterpillars wandering around, and tries to keeps tabs on their whereabouts. Today, she found one in the same spot as usual,under a flowerpot. "look mommy, he's still here".
"Um, I don't think he's with us anymore, honey. I think he's dead"
"no, he's not dead".
"Yes honey, I think he's dead." Pokes with stick- "yeah, he's dead".
"Can I look at him?".
"Sure." I find a plastic tray on which to lay him out for condolences and scientific review.
Zoe looks at him very carefully, as does Julian, who surprisingly represses his usual urge to mangle various objects of interest.
Zoe lays him carefully, on his plastic plate, on a chair where he can 'watch' the late afternoon activities of riding trikes in circles across the patio, chasing cats away, and filling, pouring and refilling anything with water. Zoe takes the deceased larva for rides in the trunk of her tricycle. She gently carries him about, to 'watch' the birds and 'lay' in the last of the day's sunshine.
I go about my business of watering plants, back and forth with the sloshing buckets. I poured water on my favorite patch of ranunculus, which always remind me of Zoe, as I planted them just before she was born, and brought her outside to see them after. I told Zoe that it might be best if we dig a little hole in the flower bed to bury Mr. Caterpillar. (She had started asking me if she could 'keep' him- "No, Mommy, he'll be fine!")
She thought about this.
"Mommy, if you died, and you didn't have any friends around, I think that would be really sad. I think you'd be lonely. So I'm going to sit with him for a while, and make him feel better."
Wow.
"That's sweet of you, honey. That's really nice. You're right. Why don't you sit with him a while".