Goal:
To hear stories from other cultures, and our own, about death and the feelings of grief. To learn that the physical death of a person or pet does not necessarily end the emotional or spiritual relationship with the deceased.

Preparation:
Read the Background from Lessons of Loss
Review the following book choices at your local library and select one that appeals to you.
Nadia the Willful, by Sue Alexander
Some of the Pieces, by Melissa Madenski
Pearl’s Marigolds for Grandpa, by Jane Breskin Zalben

Print these two stories from Long Ago and Many Lands:
The Mustard Seed Medicine
The Road to Olelpanti

Activities:
Read your choice of stories, depending on the level of questions and interest of your children. You might do this lesson in several sittings: read the ancient stories first and then the more modern ones. Use the following questions to engage discussion.:

"The Mustard Seed Medicine"
Why did Buddha send Kisa Gotami to find the mustard seed?
How did Kisa Gotami learn to comfort herself?

"The Road to Olelpanti"
What would the world be like if nobody died? Or animals never died? Or trees and plants never died?
What did Olebis mean when he said that through “the gladness of birth” and the “sorrow of death” people will come to love?

"Nadia the Willful"
How does Nadia react to the disappearance of her brother?
How does her father react?
What does he demand of the Bedouin people?
What happens to Nadia as she keeps silent?
How does Nadia begin talking of her brother?
What happens to her feelings as she speaks of Hamed?
How does her father react when he hears the shepherd mention Hamed’s name?
Why does Nadia get so angry with her father?
What do you think Nadia teaches her father about losing someone you love? What do you learn from Nadia?
How will Nadia’s father act differently in the future?

"Some of the Pieces"
Why do Bubbo and his family share so many stories about Dad?
How does Bubbo feel after sharing these memories?
How did Bubbo feel in the days after his father’s death?
Other than sharing stories, how else does the family remember Dad?
What does Bubbo mean when he says, “There’s a part of Dad in us, too.”?

"Pearl’s Marigolds for Grandpa"
What does Pearl worry about after her grandfather dies?
What does her father suggest that she do?
How does this help her remember her grandfather?
What does her grandmother tell her at the end of the story? Do you agree?