A Child's View: Schools Out for Summer

BY: ​Susan Lakin, LISW

CATEGORY: Grief and Loss
PUBLICATION: About Grief

School's out and summer is here. Most kids love summer for all the opportunities to be outside or have more free time for ourselves. But a new season also reminds us that our loved one won't be with us to greet the sun and blue sky. It reminds us that time is moving forward, but life will never be the same for us.

When you miss your special person you may feel like including some of your memories in your summer fun. If you have some chalk, draw pictures outside of some special times you had with your loved one. Go for a walk and collect little nature things that you think your special person would have liked or that remind you of him. Blow bubbles and send wishes to your loved one as the bubbles float away. If you have a camera you can use, take some pictures of places where you two shared memories.

Sometimes you won't think of your special person at all and it is OK to just enjoy yourself. It doesn't mean you have forgotten your loved one but that you are learning to live life without her here next to you. She will always be in your heart. You might enjoy keeping a special stone or token in your pocket or by your bed as a reminder of that person's love for you and their wish that they were here with you.

If you think you might enjoy being with other kids who have also had someone who was close to them die, ask your parents to look in this newsletter for camp events or groups that you might attend. You can feel a lot better being with other kids who are coping with missing someone they love. 

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