A lovely story for young children

[Sammy-Lou]

I thought I would start a new topic so this could be found easily as hoping it will help other parents of small children like it's going to help us.

Those of you who know me know that we are currently right in the middle of the worst possible experience, losing my wonderful mother-in-law to this awful disease. Coping with something like this is so difficult for us, being adults, but I often cry myself to sleep scared for how my 2 year old will cope losing her Nanna and so when I found this book, No Matter What by Debi Gliori, in a charity shop and took it home without even really reading it, not knowing how it ended, it seemed like it was just maybe meant to belong to us, at this moment in time. When I read it to our little girl, I was in tears by the end, it's a beautifully told story and perfect for our current situation. It doesn't have many words but I thought I could maybe share a few. It starts of with Small, a little fox and his mother Large, Small is feeling grim and grumpy and his mother asks him what is the matter, she tells him that even if he's grumpy or not, she'll always love him, no matter what.

The story then goes on with Small thinking up different scenarios like if he were a bear, a bug or a crocodile and asking if Large would still love him, the response always ends with "I'll always love you, no matter what." It ends with Small asking "Does love wear out, does it break or bend? Can you fix it, stick it, does it mend?"

"Oh help," said Large, "I'm not that clever, I just know I'll love you forever."

Small said, "But what about when we're dead and gone, would you love me then, does love go on?"

Large held Small snug as they looked out at the night, at the moon in the dark, and the stars shining bright. "Small, look at the stars - how they shine and glow, but some of those stars died a long time ago. Still they shine in the evening skies, love, like starlight, never dies."

I have already read it to our daughter a few times and no over the next few weeks I will read it lots more. I love the way it helps explain that love carries on after death because I never want her to forget how much her Nanna loves her. I love that is uses the stars too cos I have always felt the presence of lost loved ones on a starry night.

I definitely think this will help us explain things to our little girl as she is so young and I wanted to share in case it can help you too.

x

[Dfarmer]

This is another beautiful story...

Waterbugs and Dragonflies'

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends. Clinging to the stem of a lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

'Look!' said one of the water bugs to another, 'One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you suppose she is going?' Up, up, up it went slowly. Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return. 'That's funny!' said one water bug to another. 'Wasn't she happy here?' asked a second water bug. 'Were do you suppose she went?' wondered a third. No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled.

Finally one of the water bugs, the leader of the colony, gathered its friends together. 'I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where she went and why.' 'We promise', they said solemnly.

One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water, and had fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly.

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by, the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chancd to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs!. There they were, scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before. Then the dragonfly remembered his promise: 'The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why'.

Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly he could no longer go into the water. 'I can't return!' he said in dismay. 'At least I tried, but I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what happened to me, and where I went'.

And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air.

[susikus]

The dragonfly story was given to us in a little booklet by the undertaker so that we could give it to children coming to the funeral. A lovely story that has given me much comfort too. I love the story of Small and Large as well. Thank you

[DRAD3]

What wonderful stories and thank you so much for sharing them - death is so difficult to understand and so hard to come to terms with that even adults need simple tales like these to help us make sense of it all. I had tears in my eyes and a big lump in my throat as I read them - truly lovely. xx

[DRAD3]

Music and lyrics have always been my greatest comfort and a song by Carrie Underwood call "See You Again" has seen me through my darker days this past year. Download it if you feel the words mean something to you - it is a beautiful song...

Said goodbye, turned around

And you were gone, gone, gone

Faded into the setting sun,

Slipped away

But I won’t cry

Cause I know I’ll never be lonely

For you are the stars to me,

You are the light I follow

[Chorus]

I’ll See you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, oh

Till I see you again

I can hear those echoes in the wind at night

Calling me back in time

Back to you

In a place far away

Where the water meets the sky

The thought of it makes me smile

You are my tomorrow

[Chorus]

I’ll See you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, oh

Till I see you again

[bridge]

Sometimes I feel my heart is breaking

But I stay strong and I hold on cause I know

I’ll see you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, yeah yeah

[Outro]

I’ll See you again, oh

This is not where it ends

I will carry you with me, oh

Till I see you again

Till I see you again,

Till I see you again,

Said goodbye turned around

And you were gone, gone, gone.

love Deb xxx