Children's Grief Awareness Day: 64 Six-Word Stories

Memorials and Remembrance / Memorials and Remembrance : Litsa Williams


Today is Children's Grief Awareness Day! No worries if you have never heard of it, we are here to keep you in the know about this sort of thing. If you visit the Children's Grief Awareness Day website, you can get a ton of great information, but we'll fill you in on the basics. According to the CGAD website, the history of the day goes like this:

Created in 2008 by the Highmark Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents and Their Families, and since recognized by organizations around the world, Children's Grief Awareness Day is observed every year on the third Thursday in November (the Thursday before the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving). This time of year is a particularly appropriate time to support grieving children because the holiday season is often an especially difficult time after a death.

Children's Grief Awareness Day seeks to bring attention to the fact that often support can make all the difference in the life of a grieving child. It provides an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness of the painful impact that the death of a loved one has in the life of a child, an opportunity to make sure that these children receive the support they need.

We have celebrated Children's Grief Awareness Day in the past and, if you missed it, you can check out the CGAD challenge we did last year by reading this post. This year, we again challenged you, our wonderful readers, to step up and share your experiences with childhood grief. The catch? We asked you to share in the form of a six-word story and submit it on our site www.griefinsixwords.com.  As usual, we were overwhelmed by the flood of incredible and powerful stories we received, and we hope to see even more coming in today.   We wanted to share some of these stories here on WYG today to bring attention to childhood grief.  

Please share this post or any of the images below with others to help them understand the experience and scope of children's grief. Don't forget, you can make a huge difference in the life of a grieving child!  If you click on our categories at the top of the site, you can find a range of articles on supporting kids. You can also visit the Children's Grief Awareness Day website, the National Alliance for Grieving Children website, and the Moyer Foundation website for tons of helpful information and resources on supporting grieving kids.

Without further ado, sixty-four six-word stories on the experience of grief in childhood.

You loved God, he betrayed you.
You loved God, he betrayed you.
Two sisters gone to heaven alone.
Two sisters gone to heaven alone.
He committed suicide - I never understood.
He committed suicide - I never understood.
Our papa was the best papa.
Our papa was the best papa.
Is there a door to Heaven?
Is there a door to Heaven?
Why isn't anyone talking to me?
Why isn't anyone talking to me?
She feels lost without her sister.
She feels lost without her sister.
All around us, but still gone.
All around us, but still gone.
My niece needs her daddy's hugs.
My niece needs her daddy's hugs.
I kissed you goodbye. You left.
I kissed you goodbye. You left.
Sadness is big when you're small.
Sadness is big when you're small.
Kids are tougher than you think.
Kids are tougher than you think.
You carry the scars into adulthood.
You carry the scars into adulthood.
It will be with you always.
It will be with you always.
He misses baseball with his daddy.
He misses baseball with his daddy.
It changes you forever and ever.
It changes you forever and ever.
You grow older than you are.
You grow older than you are.
Forever and always in your heart.
Forever and always in your heart.
An unexplainable longing and validation need.
An unexplainable longing and validation need.
My daddy lives in heaven now!
My daddy lives in heaven now!
A piece of me is gone.
A piece of me is gone.
I miss you so much, Evan.
I miss you so much, Evan.
Things will never be the same.
Things will never be the same.
No one can replace my father.
No one can replace my father.
He's missing all of my milestones.
He's missing all of my milestones.
He was my very best Papa.
He was my very best Papa.
I miss my big Papa's hugs.
I miss my big Papa's hugs.
Can't remember your face anymore, Grandpa.
Can't remember your face anymore, Grandpa.
I can't believe he's gone, mommy.
I can't believe he's gone, mommy.
I only remember him sick, mama.
I only remember him sick, mama.
Wish he could come back, Mom.
Wish he could come back, Mom.
Can we visit him in Heaven?
Can we visit him in Heaven?
His breaking heart shattered mine more.
His breaking heart shattered mine more.
Mommy, why did God need Daddy?
Mommy, why did God need Daddy?
Two twins, one lives. Feels halved.
Two twins, one lives. Feels halved.
My big sissy is an angel.
My big sissy is an angel.
Where's your mommy and daddy, mama?
Where's your mommy and daddy, mama?
I think about you every second.
I think about you every second.
You died. I did not. Why?
You died. I did not. Why?
Why did God take my brother?
Why did God take my brother?
I wish I died with you...
I wish I died with you...
He can't express his grief yet.
He can't express his grief yet.
Somehow we laugh in grief group.
Somehow we laugh in grief group.
Everyday I feel his pain.
Everyday I feel his pain.
She still cannot grieve what happened.
She still cannot grieve what happened.
Eleven years, everything still tastes bitter.
Eleven years, everything still tastes bitter.
I want my big brother back.
I want my big brother back.
He just wants his brother here.
He just wants his brother here.
Three girls growing up without dad.
Three girls growing up without dad.
Oh I miss my old life.
Oh I miss my old life.
Thinks dad died because he's bad.
Thinks dad died because he's bad.
Daddy's suicide = a lost little girl.
Daddy's suicide = a lost little girl.
How many tears can a mommy cry?
How many tears can a mommy cry?
But why aren't funerals for kids?
But why aren't funerals for kids?
My world has been torn apart.
My world has been torn apart.
I only remember her being sick.
I only remember her being sick.
He hid his sickness. He's missed.
He hid his sickness. He's missed.
Gone too soon, Eric and Marissa.
Gone too soon, Eric and Marissa.
You will never see me graduate.
You will never see me graduate.
I want mom to be proud.
I want mom to be proud.
52 years later, still grieve sometimes.
52 years later, still grieve sometimes.
Am I still a twin sister?
Am I still a twin sister?
Your memory means everything to me.
Your memory means everything to me.


Feeling inspired to share your own six-word story about childhood grief?  Head on over to griefinsixwords.com to submit. And, as always, subscribe to get our weekly grief posts. Just grief support, no spam!  Promise. 

We wrote a book!

After writing online articles for What’s Your Grief
for over a decade, we finally wrote a tangible,
real-life book!

After writing online articles for What’s Your Grief for over a decade, we finally wrote a tangible, real-life book!

What’s Your Grief? Lists to Help you Through Any Loss is for people experiencing any type of loss. This book discusses some of the most common grief experiences and breaks down psychological concepts to help you understand your thoughts and emotions. It also shares useful coping tools, and helps the reader reflect on their unique relationship with grief and loss.

You can find What’s Your Grief? Lists to Help you Through Any Loss wherever you buy books:

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5 Comments on "Children's Grief Awareness Day: 64 Six-Word Stories"

Click here to leave a Comment
  1. Kate Peterson (11)  November 23, 2016 at 1:00 am Reply

    Happy Birthday,I miss you Mom

  2. Bonnie  November 18, 2016 at 1:36 pm Reply

    A grief I will never outgrow

    1
  3. Kamryn  November 18, 2016 at 9:08 am Reply

    His body doesn’t work anymore. -lucas 3 years old

    1
  4. Marie Howell  November 18, 2016 at 6:53 am Reply

    You can’t scribble out your grief – Max 6yrs old

  5. Melissa Yinger  November 17, 2016 at 2:49 pm Reply

    My mommy is my guardian angel

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