This is the sort of tricky post-existential question that children launch at you out of the blue. Luckily I have a mouthful of toast which gives me a moment to consider my response. I have to be careful, maybe he's heard this at school? Maybe someone in his class has just lost a relative?
I want to say "No son. No wings. Because there is no heaven or hell, no life eternal. This is it. Just you and me and hot buttered toast. The rest is just stories. Stories designed to scare you into being nice to people, but you're nice to people anyway. You're my heaven. And I'm sorry I can't be convinced I'll survive the death of my body, but, in a way, through you and maybe one day your children, I'll survive my death for as long as I need to. Through you I'll continue. And that's enough for me. It should be enough for anyone."
But I don't say this because it's pretentious and he's only five..."
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/james-conmy/atheism-what-to-tell-your-children_b_4703249.html
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