Thoughts of a Child 1

"Bye Madison!"

Melanie was surprised when her young daughter didn't respond. "Madison, didn't you hear Jacob? Say good-bye." The exhuberant boy continued waving as he walked with his mother. Madison's arm raised slightly. Her fingers fluttered for a moment. A whispered "bye Jacob," and her eyes fell to the ground.

As they walked to the car, Melanie pressed her palm against her daughter's forehead, then stroked her cheek. No fever. She brushed off the thought. The week was full of activity, no time to be sick.

After buckling Madison in the car, Melanie relaxed. She had a few minutes to catch up with her little girl before her afternoon meeting. "How was school sweetie?" Without giving her a chance to answer, she continued, "Mommy has to go to the church this afternoon to help decorate for Easter. How would you like to go to McDonald's for lunch? I brought you coloring book & crayons and some other things for you to play with. Bella will be at the church too, so you will have someone to hang out with while we finish preparing for the service. Madison sat silently in the back seat.

"Mommy," she finally said, "is it true that when I eat a cheeseburger I'm eating a dead cow? That's what Jacob told me. He said they kill the cows and cut them up and then make hamburgers out of them." She paused.

So this was what had caused her daughter to be so contemplative and quiet. Melanie wasn't sure how to answer her daughter before they arrived at the restaurant to eat.

"Well, yes honey. Hamburgers are made from cows. We eat meat all of the time."

"I don't think I want to eat burgers today. I don't like to think of cows dying, it makes my tummy hurt."

"So how about you have chicken nuggets today with honey? Doesn't that sound better?" She glanced in the rearview mirror and caught what she thought was a smile on Madison's face.

"That does sound better. But let's not talk about cows. That is disgusting!" Melanie hid her smile. Her 5 year was "disgusted." Where had she heard this?

After a busy afternoon, Madison seemed to have forgotten all about eating cows. Melanie and the ladies of the church finished decorating, while the girls played. That evening, as she finished the dinner preparations, Mel asked her son Zach to set the table.

"Why can't Madison do it?" He grumbled. "I have homework and she doesn't have any." Madison appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"I do too have homework. I have to read this book." She held up a hand-drawn, paper book that was stapled together. "Mommy, where's daddy? He's going to miss dinner if he doesn't hurry up and come home. I want to read my book to him."

Melanie looked at the clock. Bill should have been home by now. "Yes, daddy will be here any minute." She set a bowl of rice on the table. As she placed the chicken on a hotpad, Madison looked concerned.

"Mommy, is that cow? If it is, I'm not eating it."

"No, it's chicken, honey."

Zach rolled his eyes. "Madison, we eat cows all of the time. What's the big deal?" Madison looked horrified.

"Jacob told me they kill the cows and chop them up and make hamburgers out of them. That's just so sad I don't want to eat a poor cow." Zach laughed.

"What about the poor chickens?" Madison looked at her mother questioningly. Her eyes widened.

"We eat chickens???"

Zach almost fell over laughing. "Duh. Chicken. Chickens. Bawk, bawk, bawk! We're eating chickens for dinner."

"Mooomm," wailed Madison, "is that true?"

Just then the door opened. Bill appeared disheveled.