Raising Sensitive Children

Today I caught Laila sitting and looking out the window and crying. I asked her what the problem was, and if she was hurt or someone had upset her. She just kept shaking her head "no" and wouldn't tell me. I asked her to go and draw what she was upset about, and she finally did.
She came back to me holding a picture of her, looking at the trees and crying.
I asked her what was so upsetting about trees. It took a lot more encouragement, but finally she whispered that she was upset that we burnt them.
My poor little sensitive girl. Raising her vegetarian has taught them to be sensitive to the world around them. I remember a day back in Spring when we passed by a chicken truck on its way to a slaughterhouse, and she started bawling. We had never told her where those chickens were going, but she knew very well what they were there for. She said through her sobs, "Mommy! Those Chickens, people will kill them and chew them in their mouths! Why, Mommy?! Why?!!" Then she kept on listing all the farm animals that people chew in their mouths, and how she wanted to save them all and make them her pets, and that it wasn't fair, she wished she had a pet cow and chicken and pig! It was all so very sad, and I started getting a little teary-eyed, but trying my best to cover it up and make excuses for why people do that, and why we used to. Definitely no rationalizing with her in favor of eating animals, even though I tried my darndest!
I think I was able to assuage her dilemma with burning firewood a little. Telling her that the trees were already dead, and they would just rot, but they gave their bodies so we could be warm. It is kind of funny that this is the first it has come up as we have had a lot of fires and campfires, and she always enjoys them.
I am glad she is sensitive in this way though, I don't think she will forget that and will remain a vegetarian throughout her life. Maybe she will be into the slow food society or into sustainable living or an animal activist. It is awesome to see our future in our children and how they will positively affect the world around them, and do now.