Nothing challenges parents more than shepherding a child through grief. Translating the realities of death and grief into terms a child can grasp tests all of our powers of communication, all of our relational skills, all of our capacity for empathy and emotional maturity.
And yet, one of the greatest honors of my life has been to walk with my children as they make companions with their grief. We’ve found ways to remember the father they lost. We’ve learned to talk about death in ways that demystify it. Parenting my grieving children is incredibly hard work, but watching them flourish in the midst of sorrow is incredibly rewarding too.
Today marks the beginning of National Children’s Grief Awareness Month. I’m thrilled to host guest writers this month who will share their wisdom with us relating to children’s grief. I hope you are touched by their stories and inspired to connect more deeply with children in your own life!
Read more about walking with children through grief …
Bringing Up Boys
Since Rob died, I’ve wondered how I’m going to raise my two boys without him.
The Man of the House
Our friend carried a single, holy message for my sons’ hearts: You’re not the man of the house now.
Crying in Baseball
Learning to live with loss means allowing it to be embodied.
Binomials and the School of Grief
I may not be able help my teenagers with their math assignments anymore, but I will teach them everything I know about resilience.
Mercy for the Broken
I want to tell you what it feels like to hold a child as he mourns.
Clarissa, you are doing some remarkable work as you travel through this grief journey. You are not only helping to shepherd your children, but impacting many other families in their similar path. May God continue to bless you, your family and your ministry.
Thank you, Jackie!