About the Authors

Shanavia Black is from Canton, MS where she is the second child to Sam and Susan Black. Shanavia is currently a senior at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she is currently majoring in social work. After graduating she will continue to further her education and pursue her Master's in social work as well.

Sarah Stroud is from Sandy Hook, Mississippi. She will be receiving a B.S. in Psychology in Decemeber 2019, and will pursue graduate school where she will receive her Master's in social work. She has always had a passion for serving others and her community and hopes to use this passion to advocate for policy change and reforms within the child welfare system.

Latrisa Washington is from Tylertown, MS. She is currently enrolled as a student at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS where she is majoring in social work. Like many other students she is required to meet specific criteria so she can qualify to pursue her chosen career. Latrisa's passion is to help others and to make a positive lasting impact on the well being of others.

Ste'Niya Williams is a former resident of Rosedale, MS. She graduated with Honors from Coahoma Community College where she received her A.A. degree in social work. She now resides in Hattiesburg, MS where she is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in the field of social work. She values the importance of giving back and helping others. With her social work degree she plans to serve children and families in the Foster care system, as well as work to address prison reform.

Dear child that has lost a parent,

You are probably feeling so many emotions about losing your parent. I'm sure you use to spend a lot time with them and now that you can’t, you miss them. Things must feel very different to you now. Although you can’t call that person or talk to them like you used to, you can still remember all of the wonderful things that you did together. Maybe you can even laugh about some of the silly pictures you took of each other. Remembering loved ones after they have died is important. The authors want you to know you are a very special person and that being sad is OK. However, there are some things you can do to help you feel better. We created this book just for you. It is filled with games and activities that will help you think about your loved one and will eventually help your heart to not hurt so much. This book is all about you, your feelings, your heart, and hopefully, your smiles.

Dear reader,

Please work through the activities in this book with your child. Talk to them about their feelings and let them explore. Remember, children must grieve too. Your child needs your presence, your love, your reassurance, and especially your hugs. This guide is geared toward parents and family, but others who work with children may also find it useful. Teachers, coaches, childcare providers and other caring adults can offer better support to a child who has lost a loved one when they understand more about how children grieve.

Maddie and her mom did everything together. She went shopping with her mom, she went to the park with her mom, and even baked her favorite Blueberry Muffins with her mom. They were best friends.

Make a list or draw a picture of some things you use to do with your mom or dad.

One Tuesday morning, dad went with mom to her doctor's appointment. When they arrived at the hospital, the nurse escorted them to the doctor's office. The doctor explained to mom that her Pancreatic Cancer had worsened and she needed to seek chemo and radiation treatment immediately.

When Maddie got home from school, mom and dad sat down with her and explained to her that mom had Pancreatic Cancer. They also answered any questions that Maddie might have had about mom's illness.

Every morning, Maddie kissed mom and helped her move around as much as she could. Maddie soon noticed that she and mom spent less time together, and she was beginning to look after her mom more often than usual.

Maddie helped her dad prepare food for mom every morning. This became an everyday routine for the two of them. One morning, Maddie noticed her mom did not eat the food they prepared for her. Maddie asked her dad if her mom was alright and he replied by saying, "Mom had a rough night and didn't sleep much, so she's just tired honey."

Maddie turned away with sadness and finished getting dressed for school. While at school, Maddie got an award and couldn't wait to get home to show mom in hopes of cheering her up.

When the bell rang for school to dismiss, Maddie rushed to her bus with excitement. When Maddie arrived home, she was surprised by several cars parked in her driveway.

Dad met Maddie on the sidewalk with his arms held open and told her that mom had died due to her illness, and she would not suffer any longer. Maddie ran away in disbelief running upstairs to find her mom. She couldn't find her mom anywhere. Out of breath, scared, and confused, Maddie ran outside to hide in her secret hiding place so no one could find her.

Maddie's dad was looking everywhere for her. He was calling her name trying to find her. Her cousin,Vinny, overheard him. Vinny knew exactly where she was, but instead of telling her dad, he quietly walked away to her secret hiding place to comfort her. Vinny's dad died two years ago from colon cancer, so he thought he would be able help Maddie understand some of what she was feeling.

Maddie had so many questions. She didn't understand why her mom had to get so sick and leave her and dad. She was angry that her mom died, but then felt guilty because she knew it was not her mom's fault. She was sad because she missed her mom so much, but then felt better when she realized she still had her dad. She sat, wondering if anything would ever feel normal again.

When Vinny found her, he comforted her. He told her that he could relate to the pain she was feeling. He expressed how much pain he felt when his dad died. He let her cry and soothed her. She was happy knowing Vinny was by her side. Vinny knew that once Maddie realized that her mom was gone forever, she would be feeling different emotions, so he wanted to be right there with her.

Name some of the people you can count on.

Finally, the day that Maddie dreaded since the death of her mom had come. The funeral was right there in town.

Draw a picture of your family before and after the death of your parent.

Reader: Ask what they thought of the service. Do they have any feelings they want to share or questions to ask? Are themes from the service showing up in their drawings?

It was time to leave and go to the church where Maddie would get the opportunity to see her mom for the last time. Everyone had a chance to view the body, and now it was Maddie's turn.

At first Maddie was hesitant and she began to cry. Her dad grabbed her hand and told her that it is best that she sees mom one last time. Slowly approaching the casket with tears still flowing from her eyes, Maddie's dad grabbed her hand calmly and told her, "Don't be afraid." She leans over the casket and sees her mom lying there peacefully as if she was asleep in bed. Dad gently rubbed her as she took one last look at her mom, closed her eyes, and walked away.

After overcoming her fears Maddie felt at peace knowing that her mom doesn't have to suffer anymore. Although, Maddie felt bad about losing her mom to Pancreatic Cancer, she was thankful for the memories she shared with her mom and would cherish them forever.

See Page 44 for Activity