Grandparents. The people who are a part of our childhood. The people who are an embodiment of warmth, tenderness, kindness, generosity, and self-sacrifice. The people whose words and affection follow us throughout our lives.
They’re our first friends. Our first protectors. Our first teachers. They’re the ones who always cheer for us.
They are a part of our greatest memories. They feel the joy to see us being born and then growing. They participate in our raising and give us their unconditional love and support. And we may not be aware but the moments we spent with them in our childhood and the lessons they taught us have contributed a lot to the people we’re today.
And this is how the strong connection between us and our grandparents is created. A connection that can never be broken.
On the other hand, we see how they age and leave this world.
And what’s more painful than when we lose them? The death of a grandparent is the first loss we face in our childhood. You can be 6 or 16 years old, but either way, you feel like a part of your heart and life is missing.
Saying goodbye to our grandparents is our first encounter with loss.
Losing a grandparent leaves a void in our hearts that never gets filled. That’s why I want to point out that if you’re an adult and still have your grandparents by your side, you should know you’re privileged.
On the other hand, those who have lost a grandparent in their childhood or as adults know how painful that is.
The death of a grandparent is something that can be quite shocking and difficult to understand for children. And adults are often unable to explain what happened and they try to present death to children as something that “does not hurt.”
Yet, according to many psychologists, parents should tell their children the truth, and of course, they need to know how to adapt the news to their age. One thing they should never do is prevent their children from seeing their grandparent for the last time, let alone telling them those stories that their grandparent is gone to and watching them from the sky now.
Adults should help the child understand death in a simple way without using any metaphors. This is how the child won’t need to ask questions, such as: “When will Grandpa return?” if it’s told that he’s left.
If adults try to explain death from a religious perspective, they must make sure the child knows his/her grandparent isn’t going to “come back.”
Additionally, adults should never hide their sorrow and tears from children. Instead of suppressing their emotions, they should allow themselves to grieve openly and vent their feelings for the loss of a loved one, thereby teaching the child that death isn’t something scary or a taboo that they should never talk about.
For children, death is a difficult concept to grasp and as a result they’ll have a lot of question to ask. That’s why adults should be patient and full of understanding of the child’s innumerable questions regarding his/her grandparent’s death. What they should do is give the child short and simple answers and explanations as this will help them understand and cope with the loss more easily.
Grandparents always stay in our hearts.
I believe we can all agree that our grandparents never die because they continue to live in our hearts.
By keeping our memories of them alive, we feel they’re present. We see them in the black and white photos, holding us in their arms and smiling. They’re in the places where we spent many great moments together.
They’re in the things they left behind. They’re in the wooden box and the woolen jumper they made especially for you.
They’re in the stories we tell our own kids – their grandchildren.
They’ll always be present in the delicious and unforgettable smell of the cakes they made for us. They’re present in the wise advice they often gave us. They’re present in the stories they told us every night.
They’re present in every laugh, in every hug.
They’re in our feelings and memories of the time we spent together.
And as long as we keep our memories of them alive, they’ll always be present in our lives!
Riley Cooper is a professional writer who writes informative and creative articles on topics related to various fields of study. Written with love and enthusiasm, her articles inspire readers to broaden their knowledge of the world, think and get ready to act. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
