Lean on me when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on. — “Lean On Me,” Hymn 1021 in Singing the Journey
IN SUNDAY‘S SESSION . . . the theme was “At our congregation, we share our sad feelings and have memorial services for people who have died.” We made tissue paper flowers and had our own Memorial Service with flowers and candles.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER . . . Read one or more of this session’s suggested books, together:
- Badger’s Parting Gifts by Susan Varley, 1992. Badger’s friends are sad when he dies, but they treasure the legacies he left them.
- The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown, 1958. Children offer a goodbye to a dead bird they find in the woods.
- The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, 1987. Trying to overcome his grief, a boy tries to think of the 10 best things about his dead cat.
- My Grandson Lew by Charlotte Zolotow, 1974. Lewis and his mother remember Grandpa, who used to come in at night when Lewis called.
- A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka, 2011. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy’s anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try . . . creating your own ceremony for loss. Find guidance in How to Bury a Goldfish and Other Ceremonies and Celebrations for Everyday Life by Virginia Lang and Louise Nayer (Skinner House Books, 2007); read the section on loss.
A Family Adventure. Visit a cemetery and place flowers on a grave.
A Family Discovery. Together as a family, watch Stevie Wonder’s eulogy to George Duke on YouTube.
0 Comments