Consequences
of Stress on Children's Development
I can remember as a child when my best friend died, she had leukemia,
at the time I didn’t understand what that was or why she was sick all the time
and wasn’t able to attend school for several weeks at a time. I can remember her mother was always sad, I didn’t
understand it at the time, but after Sheri died, I was sad and angry for a long
time. I didn’t want to go to school and
I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I just stayed in my room. I didn’t know what to expect or how to feel.
When Sheri died, I didn’t understand what death really
meant, I heard her mother say she was at rest.
The first couple of weeks after Sheri died I was afraid to go to sleep
because I was afraid I was going to die while sleeping. I remember asking my grandmother if I got sick
was I going to die while I was sleeping.
She smiled and told me no, and tried to explain to me that sleep and
death are not the same. And that death is
something we all have to bare, but for those who believe in Jesus will live in
Heaven forever, with no more sickness and no more pain, that our bodies will be
made whole again. For some reason I
still remember those words as clear today as I did many years ago.
Hi Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about the pain you suffered as a young child. Do you feel you are better suited to help other young children go through the stages of death and grief since you went through it as a child? You would have a better sense of compassion and understanding than those of us who never experienced death of a close, loved one at such a young age.
Kate
Hi Sandra, I'm sorry You endured that pain as a child. I didn't experience any close death until I was an adult because my family was the type to shield the children when speaking on death. It took a long time for me to understand death when I finally experienced it. I'm glad your family helped you cope with it so that you could share your story to others.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra, thank you for sharing your story. I also experienced a death of a classmate and often wanted answers about death as a young child. People were not always comfortable about explaining it.It was great that your family helped you cope.
ReplyDeleteI always wonder exactly what little ones are thinking when they lose someone. "Being at Rest" makes sense to an adult, but we are learning how young chidlren do take things very literally. I can imagine hearing that and being to rest or sleep as well. Like everyone else posted, I bet this does make you more able to help little ones cope with loss. Not just death but otherr types of loss..
ReplyDelete