Teen Grief

Charlie, a musical theater nerd with a deep appreciation for sprinkle-topped ice cream and other snack foods, is active in his church and comes from a family who loves and appreciates him for exactly who he is, purple pants and all. Tim, a lover of crinkle-cut pickles, black olives, and other forgivably disgusting crudités, belongs to a conservative Christian pastor and devout mother who move to the rural town to staff a small church that, predictably, holds little place for Tim. After meeting online and attending a youth group at another church, Tim and Charlie become fast friends.

I was 17 when my mum died from breast cancer. At that time, and for a period afterwards, I wasn't able to express myself verbally, so I turned to writing. It was cathartic, though I never had the courage to share what I wrote, let alone attempt to publish my work. I wouldn't claim to be a poet, or a writer, however, 20 years on, I feel ready to share. My hope is that these poems, written while I was still a teenager, will inspire, as well as be understood, whichever way you interpret them.

"The girls are worried about Lauren. She’s saying things that are scaring them.” These two text messages from my best friends began a chain of events that led to us being blindsided by suicide. Our 14-year-old daughter made her attempt at ending her life in our bedroom and succumbed to her injuries seven hours later. My bright, beautiful, talented, brave, funny, and serious daughter was gone. No one saw it coming.

Here is a book to help you or a loved one think and work through grief. Many times people have no one to talk to about their loss. This book is also a resource to use to help lead a grief group discussion about the four tasks of grief. To learn more go to Grievingteens.com, GrievingTeensPublishing.com.