I had never really considered grieving for children before I became the bystander. In the wake of a sudden and unexpected family death, two of my nieces became case studies in children grieving.

I have felt, in the last year-and-a-half, overwhelmingly helpless. I don’t know what to say; I don’t know what to do; I don’t know!

As with so many things with children and other people, sometimes just being there is as important as anything else. Thanks to a new release by Pauline Books & Media, I Will Remember You: My Catholic Guide Through Grief, I have a resource to share with the younger of my nieces, who’s ten.

This book has equal parts reading and writing/activity. It doesn’t just challenge the reader to think about the huggy-kissy parts of grief, but rather faces the steps of grief and explains them with short chapters and with fill-in-the-blank activities, craft ideas, and an ongoing Memory Box idea.

Reading this as the adult who’s going to be gifting it, I appreciated that it was age appropriate without pandering to kids. It’s intended for ages 7-12, but reading this made me want to look up the author for adult resources.

Kimberly Schuler has made a guide that is Catholic in spirit and essential in substance for grieving children. I can’t wait to share it with my niece, and I’m grateful to have a resource like this available to help her.