Saturday, June 7, 2008

children and death

I've added another point to my post on grieving and helping those who grieve. For those who've already read yesterday's post, here it is:

  • Allow children to see the body, if it's appropriate and they're willing. They need to understand that while the body is left behind, the person has gone; to accept the reality of death, and to say goodbye. They may be upset, but it will give you a chance to comfort them, and talk about their fears. Our children have been privileged to see both birth and death: I hope this helps them appreciate the wonder and gravity of life, and to comfort others in the years ahead.

2 comments:

Alexandra said...

Absolutely. Having experienced it, seeing the body is a hugely important aspect - in the right circumstances, as you say.

Anonymous said...

We have recently seen how Greek people grieve at our church. The whole family sees the body 3 times before it is buried and they spend lots of time in the home where the person died. They talk lots and cry lots. I think they could show our Australian culture a thing or two!