Comfort Zone Camp

Each of us copes in his/her own way. My 11-year-old son does just fine in the daytime, but is having trouble sleeping. He hasn't slept alone in his room since his father died. He'll crawl in bed with me or sister, and he's had a couple sleepovers. My almost-15-year-old daughter said, "It doesn't feel that different. He wasn't around that much anyway." This from a self-proclaimed Daddy's Girl.

There was no way that I could put his ashes into an urn with a bunch of flowers all over it! I do ceramics, and the kids helped me decorate an urn with a Lakers logo, Scooby Doo graphic, a haunted house, and a basketball. There were no tears. They were simply proud of how well it looked.

Every summer I involve the kids in Mom Camp: movies, museums, the beach, theme parks, etc. This summer was no different. We've had fun!

But are the kids coping? Are they in denial? Have they jumped straight to acceptance? They don't want to talk about it, but that might be because they're protecting me.

My sister turned me on to a free camp for kids who are grieving, Comfort Zone Camp. I signed the kids up for September. I hope they will find an outlet for their grief there.