And When I Die

"I love you so much, Mommy, I'm never gonna let you die." My son tells me this every night during our "bedtime ritual" and several times during the day. In fact I can't get an "I love you," out of him without it being followed by this proclamation.
I don't know where it comes from. His only brush with death so far has been Coco the seal from the aquarium, which he took pretty well, I mean after all, I think Coco was old - for a seal, and Oreo the bunny at the Green Briar Nature Center. I didn't even think he would notice Oreo was gone, they have several rabbits; but he did so I had to tell him about the sign in the classroom that said he died and went on to say how much he had enjoyed his life at the Nature Center.
Every night, though, he tells me he's going to save me from dying, something I told him hopefully won't happen to me or anyone he knows until they are old - like 90. So then he wants to know if 38 is almost 90. Well sometimes it kinda feels like it, but I say no. Then he says that when I get to be 90 he's going to "hold onto me so I won't die.
"Isn't that nice of me, Mommy?"
I politely say thanks.
It's all kind of creepy, why couldn't he just be afraid of what's under the bed like a normal kid?
I think it's turning into an Oedipus Complex now. This morning he informed me that when daddy dies, not only is he not going to save him, he's going to be his little brother's "second daddy."

song: And When I Die • Artist: Three Dog Night