Ohh, the death talk! DS2.25 initiated it a few months ago and I was really thrown. I dug through some correspondence with a friend, which I've added below. Hope it helps. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat more in detail.
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As we were walking down the stairs after playing sheet/blanket tents, he just came out with this statement: "Everything dies. Boys die. Girls die. Mums and Dads die. Eventually everyone dies." He said it so casually and with a matter-of-fact tone.
When I asked where he got the idea from, he referred to a cute book of children's poetry we have. There's a brief line about thinking you'll die if you don't get a piece of alligator pie. Somehow he extrapolated the pervasiveness of death from that and our talk about food webs. I really have no idea how it came up, or even if it's worth hunting for teachable moments.
I was pretty taken aback, but reassured that he seemed to be thinking it through from a more biological/clinical stance. Realistically, I don't think he has a good grasp of what the after-effects of death are for those surviving the loss of a loved one, and I don't think he could handle the gravity of a fuller understanding yet. As with everything, I tried to follow his lead and give him information on a need-to-know basis. I tried to be upbeat because it was such an apt comment that it deserved to be recognized. We talked about life expectancy always extending, medical advances, how to avoid unnecessary risk, etc.
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ETA: We're also Catholic, so end of life discussion have an unavoidably positive, eternal theme to them for us. I didn't go into it at length because my DS is still too young, but I plan to use the death talk as a springboard for discussing free will and the behaviours required for eternal life in our faith. I think concrete, actionable steps within our control make the unknown less intimidating.
