The Garden A Center for Grieving Children and Teens

12/29/2025

🌱 At The Garden, we know that even small acts of kindness can help grieving hearts grow.

That’s why we’re excited to share this wonderful resource from Judi’s House — a collection of simple, meaningful kindness activities for children, teens, and families.

Whether it’s creating a Basket of Kindness, making Kindness Cards in honor or memory of someone special, or helping younger children build a Kindness Flower to practice self‑kindness, these activities offer gentle ways to cope, connect, and heal.

💚 Why kindness?
Practicing kindness can release “feel‑good” chemicals in the brain and help grieving kids feel more grounded and supported. It’s a beautiful way to honor loved ones while nurturing compassion in ourselves and others.

🌼 Explore the activities here: https://judishouse.org/kindness-activities/

Let us know which one you try — we love seeing kindness bloom in our community.

Being kind to others can be a healthy coping skill! When we practice acts of kindness, it can release “feel good” chemicals in our brain.

12/24/2025

Happy Holidays from The Garden

As we enter this holiday season, we hold close the children, teens, and families who are navigating grief. 💚

At The Garden, we believe the holidays can be a time to honor memories, share love, and find comfort in community. 🌟

✨ May your days be filled with gentle moments of peace, cherished traditions, and the reminder that you are not alone.

From all of us at The Garden, we wish you a holiday season filled with hope, healing, and connection. 🌼

12/22/2025

The holiday season can be bittersweet for children and teens who are missing someone they love. At The Garden, we remind families that it’s okay to feel a mix of emotions during this time. 💚

🌱 Consider creating a new tradition to honor your loved one, like lighting a candle or sharing a favorite memory. These small acts can help children feel connected while also giving them space to heal.
Remember: grief and joy can coexist. Together, we can support children in finding hope and comfort this holiday season. ❤️

12/19/2025

🌟 A Safe Place to Heal Together

At The Garden, children and teens ages 5–18 find comfort in knowing they are not alone. 💚

Here, they can:
-Share memories of loved ones
-Connect with peers who understand their grief
-Discover healthy ways to express feelings
-Begin to heal in a supportive, nurturing environment

🌱 Every story matters. Every child deserves a safe space to grieve, grow, and find hope again.

If your family is navigating loss, know that The Garden is here to walk alongside you. Together, we create a community of compassion and resilience. 🌼

If in need of support for your child or teen, contact The Garden at 413-727-5749.

12/15/2025

At The Garden, we know that children and teens often struggle to make sense of loss. That’s why we share trusted resources like the Coalition to Support Grieving Students, which offers age-appropriate guidance on how to explain concepts of death in ways that help young people cope.

💡 These resources provide:
-Clear language for talking about death with children
-Tips for caregivers and teachers supporting grieving students
-Activities that encourage healthy expression of feelings

We encourage families, educators, and community members to explore these tools and use them to support grieving children in their journey. Together, we can create safe spaces for healing and hope. 💚

The Coalition to Support Grieving Students is a unique collaboration of the leading professional organizations representing classroom teachers (including teachers, paraprofessionals, and other instructional staff), principals, assistant principals, superintendents, school board members, and central....

12/10/2025

Grief doesn’t stop at the classroom door. That’s why we partner with schools to provide compassionate support for students coping with loss.

Through storytelling, group activities, and even hands-on projects children and teens find a safe space to express their feelings, connect with peers, and discover hope in the midst of grief.

In schools, The Garden helps:
- Create supportive environments where grief is acknowledged, not hidden
- Give students a place to heal, grow, and remember loved ones

💬 Teachers: You are not alone in supporting grieving students. The Garden is here to help bring healing and resilience into your classrooms. Learn more by visiting our webpage https://www.cooleydickinson.org/programs-services/vna-hospice/the-garden/

Need book ideas for the classroom? Here are some ideas from What's Your Grief - https://whatsyourgrief.com/childrens-book-grief-in-the-classroom/

Guest author Lauren McGovern talks discussing death, grief, and loss in the classroom environment in a safe and inclusive way.

12/08/2025

✨ The holidays can be a time of joy, but for those who are grieving, they can also bring stress, loneliness, and sadness. Judi’s House has created a powerful resource to help families navigate this season with compassion and care.

💜 Whether you’re supporting children, honoring traditions, or simply trying to make it through, their insights remind us that grief is unique—and you don’t have to face it alone.
👉 Read more here: https://judishouse.org/resources/grief-and-the-holidays/

Let’s remember to hold space for ourselves and others this holiday season. 🌟

12/05/2025

✨ Holiday Reminder for Anyone Grieving ✨
The holidays can be tough when your heart is heavy with loss. If you’re grieving, please know you don’t have to force joy or pretend everything is okay.

💙 Give yourself permission to feel what you feel.
💙 Honor your loved one in small ways—light a candle, share a memory, cook their favorite dish.
💙 Set boundaries. It’s okay to say no to traditions or gatherings that feel overwhelming.
💙 Lean on the people who care about you, and don’t be afraid to ask for support.
💙 Remember: moments of joy don’t erase your grief—they can coexist.

If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Be gentle with yourself this season. 🌟

For more tips, visit The Dougy Center's Holiday Tip Sheet - chrome-extensio://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dougy.org/assets/uploads/Holiday-Tip-Sheet-and-Worksheet.pdf

12/03/2025

🌿 National Grief Awareness Week, December 2 - 8 🌿

Grief doesn’t follow a timeline, and it looks different for everyone. This week, we invite families, schools, and communities to break the silence around grief and loss.

🔹 Grief is not just sadness—it can be confusion, anger, numbness, or even laughter at unexpected moments.

🔹 Children grieve in waves. They may seem “fine” one minute and deeply affected the next.

🔹 There is no right or wrong way to grieve. What matters most is having support.

At The Garden, we provide a safe and nurturing space for grieving children and families. 💜 If you or someone you love is grieving, please know—you are not alone. We are here.

12/01/2025

🌿 Grief shared is grief softened. We're proud to share that Shelly Bathe Lenn, director of The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, was recently featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday!

Shelly spoke alongside members of her bereavement support walking group, which meets twice weekly in Northampton. These walks offer a gentle, healing space for people to move, connect, and share their grief journeys together.

🎧 Listen to the full interview and hear how walking and talking are helping people find comfort and community: https://share.google/3IcxuYRnVGieLkUUB

💚 Learn more about our Bereavement Support Groups and The Garden and our programs for grieving children, teens, and families : https://www.cooleydickinson.org/.../bereavement-support/
https://www.cooleydickinson.org/.../vna-hospice/the-garden/

There are many ways to grieve. In Massachusetts, people who have lost loved ones take a weekly walk. They say strolling in a park is the perfect casual setting for sharing their feelings.

11/26/2025

🌿 Giving Thanks While Grieving 🌿

This season reminds us to pause and give thanks, even when our hearts feel heavy. At The Garden, we know that gratitude and grief often walk hand in hand.
We give thanks for the love we shared, for the memories that continue to bloom, and for the community that surrounds us with care. We honor the ache of absence while holding onto the beauty of presence.

If you are grieving, know that you are not alone. Your sorrow is welcome here, and so is your gratitude. Together, we can hold both—pain and love, loss and thanksgiving.

May this season bring gentle comfort, and may gratitude be a light that guides us through the shadows. 💚

11/24/2025

✨💙 November is officially Children’s Grief Awareness Month in Massachusetts ✨💙

In collaboration with the New England Child Bereavement Network, Governor Maura Healey has declared the entire month of November dedicated to recognizing and supporting grieving children.

We are deeply grateful to Governor Healey for shining a light on the importance of acknowledging children’s grief—a topic that deserves compassion, understanding, and community support.
Let’s use this month to listen, learn, and stand alongside children and families navigating loss. Together, we can make sure no child grieves alone. 💙🌟



https://childrensroom.org/
Maura Healey