Highmark Caring Place Resources Help Children Deal With Death of Parent During Mother's Day and Fa...( PITTSBURGH May 6 /- With Mother's...),Health

PITTSBURGH, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- With Mother's Day and Father's Day just around the corner, many of us look forward to time spent with family, or to taking the opportunity to express appreciation to our parents, wherever they might live. For a child whose mother or father has died, however, Mother's Day or Father's Day can be especially difficult. Although we don't typically think of Mother's Day or Father's Day as "holidays," they are special days within the year around which there are traditions and memories. For those who have had a parent die, the special day may intensify the already hard feelings of sadness and pain.

"It's important to talk as a family about the upcoming day," said Terese Vorsheck, Director, Highmark Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents, and Their Families. "Deciding how you would like to spend the day ahead of time might help you from getting caught off-guard by the emotions that are difficult to anticipate. Sharing your feelings with one another, along with a little bit of planning, can help you find ways of honoring and remembering someone you love very much but who is no longer with you."

The Highmark Caring Place also offers these suggestions for helping your family cope with the death of a mother or father:

-- Realize that the anticipation of the holiday is often as difficult --

or even more difficult - than the holiday itself.

-- Talk about your grief and the person who died. Share your feelings

with people you trust. Say the name of the person who died and invite

others to do the same.

-- Embrace your memories. Memories are one of the best legacies that

exist after someone dies. Allowing time for family members to share

their memories, and laughing and crying together, helps keep the person

who died a part of these special days.

In addition, the Caring Place has created a series of publications that is a
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