Colorful leaves posted in stores and windows by children may help adults get through a season of grief.
For people who have lost loved ones, holidays can be a heavy emotional time because of the emphasis on family. And children in Durango who have lost loved ones are trying to brighten their day by posting encouraging words on handmade leaves throughout town, said Judy Austin, director of the Grief Center of Southwest Colorado.
Some of the leaves posted last week around town say: “Be happy for who you have,” “Don’t hold your emotions in, it can make you more emotional. It’s OK to cry,” and other words written by children 8 to 12 years old, many of whom have lost their parents.
The leaves were posted to help mark Children’s Grief Awareness Day, which is celebrated on the third Thursday of each November. The leaves will likely stay up for about a month, Austin said.
Losing a parent or a friend can deeply affect children and place them at higher risk for self harm, suicidal ideas, substance abuse and other harmful behaviors, she said.
Helping children to articulate and access their feelings can help them be more resilient later in life, she said.
Children experience grief differently depending on their stage of development, but their feelings run just as deep as adults’ feelings, she said.
“They go through all the same emotional experiences, including guilt and regret,” Austin said.
However, sometimes children will experience grief a little bit at a time, instead of entering the grief process and staying there as adults do, she said.
Bereaved children may go back to school, re-engage with life and look like they are doing well, she said. Behavioral problems and a drop in grades can be signs that children are having trouble after a death.
“Often about three to six months after the death is when we see the death start to set in,” she said.
To help more children receive grief care, the Grief Center of the Southwest has been expanding throughout the region, Austin said. The center started offering services this year in Cortez and Silverton and plans to expand to Bayfield next year, she said.
Parents interested in grief care can email the center at griefcenterswco@gmail.com.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
