Wiley: "can I tell you something that might be heartbreaking? I know more about star wars than you."

Wiley: "mom, you have a hard job."
Me: "oh, really, what's that?" (Thinking he meant something like being the bad guy when we played)
Wiley: "being a social worker and helping all those kids"
Me: "oh."

Wiley: "mom, please don't die. I was thinking about if you die and it really scares me. A lot." Pretty sure I didn't handle this one well. As many of you know I am a worrier and a bit of a hypochondriac and so I've been going through one of those periods where I'm pretty sure something awful is about to/has happened to me health-wise. I haven't ruminated on something like this in a long time--mostly for the last few years all my worry has centered around Wiley and Archer, so I guess now that they're older I've had brain space enough to start getting all worrisome about me again. So, when Wiley said this, I said, "I worry about this, too and it scares me, too, but there are lots of people who will take good care of you and I will always be in your heart." Then, I realized that probably wasn't a great, reassuring answer and said something like, "But I do my best to take care of myself so I can live a long, long time." Then Wiley said, "ya, you have to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and exercise to be healthy." But he was definitely freaked out; the world is getting wider to him and bringing all it's reality with it.