Writing for Children
WHEN SIMON DIED
“That night as Mommy tucked me into bed I asked, “Is Simon under a stone?” Mommy gave me a funny look. “Oh no, honey, not yet.” I knew all about stones because Grandpa Joseph and Grandma Diana are under stones. “Then where is he?” . . .
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My husband and I have always been open and honest with our two sons about death. They have come to know the remarkable people that were their maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother through our love-filled memories. Together, we celebrate their lives and feel their presence.
Throughout their young lives, my children have also been touched by the loss of their great-grandmother, my childhood friend’s young husband and father of a 5-year-old boy, my husband’s dear friend and business mentor, their unborn cousin, and even our beloved cat. We parents never hid our emotions, and we journeyed together with our boys in these times of bereavement.
It was then when a dear family friend died suddenly, and my sons were 5 years old, that the questions began pouring in, and so the story, When Simon Died, unfolded. This a simple tale based on personal experience and precious mommy moments brimming with love, humor and spirituality.
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