When Families Grieve

I read an article today by Kristan Dean. She asked what I was doing to help children in my community who are grieving. She's right, there are so many children who are struggling with loss and heartache. It could be loss of a family member or friend, it could be loss of home because of family financial situations. Especially at the beginning of the holiday season, I think we should all be aware that the children in our life might need some extra attention. One way I can help is to make you aware of the services that are available for children.

Kristan's article shares a wonderful website from the creators of Sesame Street. "When Families Grieve" has two programs. The first helps military children "dealing with the worst-case senario: a parent who doesn't return at all. " The second, for "nonmilitary families who have experienced the death of a parent due to illness, suicide, accidents or other sudden or natural causes."  Please visit www.sesameworkshop.org/grief for more information and share the message of the Muppets with a child who needs it.

Death is a subject people do not want to talk about. According to Parker Palmer in Let Your Life Speak - "We live in a culture that just does not want to talk about dying. We need to remember, when you boil down all the great wisdom traditions, they say the same thing: BE NOT AFRAID! They don't say you can't have fear, because we all have fears. But they say you don't have to be your fears, and you don't have to create a world in which those fears dominate." 

Remember - The only way to take grief out of death, is to take love out of life. - Shelle