That would be an ecumenical question…

Walking home from the library with Harry just now, conversation turned (as it often does with Harry) to heaven…

Me: "Some people believe in heaven, but I don't."

Harry: "I believe in it! I've seen it!"

Me: "Where have you seen it?"

Harry: "In Tom & Jerry. Tom got splatted by a piano and went up some stairs to heaven!"

Me: "Yes, but that's a cartoon, isn't it? It's not real. You've only seen drawings of heaven, haven't you."

Harry: "I believe it though. I believe everything!"

Me: "I know you do. And I think that's probably a good way to be when you're six."

Harry: "But I don't believe in shoes…"

I showed him my shoe.

Harry: "Now I do. But I don't believe in bees."

Me: "Do you know what it's called when you believe in something you haven't seen or don't know for certain is true? It's called faith."

Harry: "Faith, trust and pixie dust! That's Tinkerbell."

Indeed.

Me: "Can you think of something or somewhere you've never been or experienced for yourself, but you know is real?"

Harry, after a bit of a think: "I know! Canada!"

Me: "Exactly! Good thinking. But you know Canada is real because I've been there and Daddy's been there. Do you know anyone who's been to heaven?"

Harry: "Yes."

Me: "Who?"

Harry: "God."

O-kay…

The conversation then turned to Angry Birds and how, even though Harry knows they're not real, he can still talk to them. The remainder of the walk was given over to Harry interviewing the different Angry Birds, e.g. "You're the bomb bird – how do you do the bombs? Well, I breathe in and go red and then I breathe out and go boom! Thank you. Now, yellow bird – how do you go so fast?" etc.

He's so fab.

[The picture is a collage Harry made yesterday with minimal input from me. He chose the images himself, I just arranged them very slightly. Click to embiggen.]