Today is a day for children who will always feel a little bit alone to feel a tiny bit less so. 76% of children who lost a parent surveyed say they think about the person at least once a day. It can happen at anytime, anywhere. Anything can trigger missing someone - the weather, the sky, a joke, a song, a radio commercial. Grieving kids learn quickly it's not appropriate to say this out loud whenever they remember. It's alienating. So they let it sit on them. Sometimes it's a happy memory. Other times, it crushes their ribs and they can't even breathe.
Unlike people, grief never dies. It becomes a part of ourselves. We are entitled to honor that feeling and, in turn, ourselves. That's why I'm wearing blue today. It's ok to tell a grieving child that you know they are grieving. They may even be pleasantly surprised. After loved ones die, the world keeps turning even if it should have stopped. Taking a moment to recognize that is true empathy.
I am inspired and in awe of the work of the National Alliance for Grieving Children. Even if it's just your jeans, put on something blue today.
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