Four-year-old Emma loves playing with her puppy, helping her mommy, and watching the clouds outside. But most of all, she loves visiting her grandma's house-where it always smells like sugar cookies, and Grandma makes her feel like the most special little girl in the world.
One day, Mommy is crying, and she tells Emma that Grandma is gone. This makes Emma sad, confused, and angry. Why isn't anyone looking for Grandma so they can take care of her? Maybe she's under the bed, or in the closet, or somewhere outside.
But Mommy explains that Grandma was very sick and died-and that means Emma won't be able to see her anymore. She explains that it's okay to be sad and cry, and to miss someone who has died.
For a while, Emma feels sad-even while playing with her puppy, and when helping her mommy. But eventually she experiences happiness again, when she realizes Grandma isn't truly gone-but still lives inside Emma's heart. And that remembering the great memories they shared is all it takes to smile once again!
About the Author: Joy Cummings, RN, is a former private school teacher who has worked in the nursing field for nearly eighteen years, as a registered nurse, a long-term care director of administration, and a bereavement counselor. She has a vast amount of experience in the death and dying journey, having seen grieving and loss both personally and professionally.
As a bereavement counselor, Cummings has the privilege of counseling families and loved ones through the grief process-but finds that children are often left out because of a fear and reluctance to introduce them to such a sensitive topic. Through her work as a counselor and as an author, she hopes to bridge that gap, giving family members of all ages the chance to achieve peace at a time of loss. Emma Lost Grandma is her debut children's book addressing this topic.
