He's so sensitive

I've talked before about Ethan's sensitive spirit in certain matters. He definitely has a "right to life" attitude about creatures in general. He's not an animal/bug lover, but he does think highly of all living things.

Today, I was looking at some pictures my sister-in-law had posted on Facebook of her and my brother's many trips to Cuba over the years. One picture was of a pig roast, you know, the whole pig, with a stick through it, being turned as it cooked over an open fire.

Ethan was looking at the pictures with me. He got very serious when he saw this picture and said, "That's not very nice."

I said, "It probably tasted pretty good."

He gave a pretty big sigh and said, "Well, it's not nice for the pig."

I inwardly chuckled, but could feel what he was feeling.

Later, at bedtime, I was snuggling Silas in his bed, and Ethan was tucked into his own bed. They share a room. And Ethan said, "I don't think people should eat pigs." I told him that we do often, every time we eat bacon or pork. "But people shouldn't eat pigs like *that*", clearly referring to the whole pig. "People should be nice to pigs." I explained to him that the pig was dead before they put it on the stick and that the pig wasn't hurting while it was being cooked. He asked if they shot the pig with a gun, in order to kill it. I cringed inside. How on earth do I explain to this child that I HOPE, with all my heart, that the animals we eat are killed humanely, but I know that there are many inhumane slaughtering practices around the world, and I honestly just don't know!!??

I told him the pig was killed in such a way that it did not get hurt or feel pain.

Then, there was silence for awhile. And then I said to him, "But Ethan, I think you are a very kind and sensitive boy for thinking of the pig and its feelings. You have a really good heart."

And he responded, "Yes, I do." And then, "You said that to make me happy."

I said, "Did it make you happy?" He said yes. And I said, "I didn't just say it to make you happy. I said it because it's true."

I could sense him smiling in the darkness of the room. My sweet, warm-hearted boy. Maybe a future vegetarian or animal rights activist? Hmmm... don't know how he's going to give up those chicken nuggets, though.