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Showing Up for Grieving Children

2/1/2017

3 Comments

 
I had the opportunity to visit the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children 
to meet with Joan Kennedy, the Program Director. I interviewed her for my Roger’s TV series and like to meet my guests first. The centre was founded by Rowley Ramey after his two beautiful young daughters, Samantha and Jessica, were killed in a car accident.
He realized there were no resources for the grieving children affected by this tragedy.
It is amazing that Rowley had the courage to make something so good happen
after such a devastating loss.

I was in awe from the moment I walked into the centre. You could feel the love and support in this beautiful place. The walls downstairs are strewn with pictures of those who have died, hung by those who grieve and miss them. Many walls are covered with pictures and sayings that children painted, such as “Miss you Mom”, “R.I.P. Dad.” All expressions of love and grief. It was heartwarming and heart wrenching, all at the same time.

Season’s Centre for Grieving Children provides a safe and supportive environment for
children and adults to grieve and heal, with various programs and peer support.
An important message that Joan shared with me;

Children are often “the forgotten grievers". We must realize that they need to grieve
and often act out as they grieve physically. They often don’t have the words for the
feelings they are experiencing, so they need physical outlets.


The centre provides that with big stuffed animals, punching bags, games and a room to toss paint everywhere. Children are free to express themselves in a safe, non- judgmental environment. Children grieve many things throughout their lives; friends moving, difficulty in school, health issues and yes, people they love may die.

As compassionate communities, neighbours and schools, we need to learn and understand how children grieve, how unique each individual is and to remember that the child who is angry, acting out or isolating themselves, may just be grieving.
​
We need to learn how to “Just Show Up” for that child.

www.grievingchildren.com


3 Comments
Claudette link
2/2/2017 09:00:03 am

amazing place...Heart warming

Reply
Denise
2/3/2017 09:52:38 am

Happy to see that there is such a program. Information that I can past on. Thank You for passing this on Yvonne. All the work certainly helps all the people around us.

Reply
Amanda
1/11/2018 04:09:18 pm

I had no idea that the centre was inspired by Jessica and Samantha. What an amazing resource for grieving children. As we approach the anniversary of their passing, I am reminded of this event in my childhood where I learned that my friend and her sister had passed away. Jessica was my friend and classmate and I think about the girls every single day. At the time of their passing I recall a counsellor coming into our class to encourage us to share our feelings but i think at the time we were just so blown away by the news and in grade 5 I know the idea of sitting down in a formal counselling session seemed so foreign to people. We were just kids. It is great to see this kind of resource available for grieving children because I know at the time, at our age, it was hard to even know where to start processing the loss of a friend and classmate. Even after all this time, I remember it so vividly and to this day I miss them so much. Thank you for providing such an important service

Reply



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    Yvonne Heath is Canada's Proactive Living Consultant. She is a Speaker, Television Host, Award Winning Author
    ​and creator of the #IJustShowedUp movement. 

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