“Mommy… —”
“Yes, honey?”

“Why does the sun set?”
“Well, let's see… The sun sets because... it just does.”

“Will it come back up in the morning, Mommy?”
“I believe so, honey.”

“How do you know?”
“Because it always has, honey.”

“Will it still rise when I am older, Mommy?”
“It seems that way, my love.”

“What if it doesn’t?”
“Then that would be a day unlike any other, wouldn’t it?”

“Why?”
“What do you mean why, honey?”

“Why does the sun always rise over there?”
“Maybe that’s its home, and it knows to come back every morning.”

“Will it rise over there tomorrow?”
“Honey… Yes. It’s something we count on.”

“What if it rises from over there?”
“It won’t, honey.”

“Okay, Mommy. But, Mommy… —”
“Yes, honey?”

“What if the sun changes its mind?”
“Oh, honey, the sun loves us. It rose every day for my father, and for his father, and for his father. The sun doesn’t let us down. The sun loves us.”

“But why does the sun love us?”
“Because, why wouldn’t the sun love us, honey?.”

“Does the sun have a Mommy?”
“Of course, honey. Every one has a Mommy.”

“And will the sun’s Mommy make sure it comes up tomorrow?”
“Yes. The sun’s Mommy will make sure the sun comes up right over there.”

“What if the sun gets lost?”
“The the sun’s Mommy will help it finds its way.”

“Do you ever get lost, Mommy?”
“Sometimes, honey, but I always find my way back.”

“And will you always find your way back to me?”
“Always, my dear.”

“Okay, Mommy. I love you.”
“I love you too, honey. Now, time for sleep, so we can wake up to the sun’s warm light again.”

"Mommy...?"
"Yes, honey?"

"If the sun does get lost, and the sun’s Mommy can’t find the sun. Will we go find it?"
“No, honey. We can’t reach the sun. The sun is always just a little further than we can reach.”

“Will I be able to reach the sun when I get big, Mommy?”
“No, honey. No one can reach the sun.”

"Does anything ever change, Mommy?"
“No, honey. Things never change.”

“Okay, Mommy.”



© Betty B. Goodman