“Do not feel sorry for expressing sadness, sorrow, or grief through tears or words for it is a reflection of the depth of your love.”
-Francis Weller, Wild Edge of Sorrow
In this writing I celebrate those that support people in pain. In particular, I want to tell you about an amazing resource we have in our backyards here in Delaware, Supporting Kidds. Before I tell you about them and how you can join me in supporting them, I want to briefly highlight why their work is so important.
Pain is a universal physical and emotional experience that cannot be compared across people. Pain is also an experience that we tend to turn away from or rush through, especially when we lack tools and knowledge. We are a joy seeking society. But working through pain and seeking proper guidance when it gets overwhelming are the keys to personal growth and finding joy in our lives. These are truths that are essential to our understanding of pain if we are to move through it well and support others with love and grace.
This writing is going to briefly focus on the pain of grief. Grief is a pain we will all experience in our lifetime. Grief is a long and, as one grieving mother shared with me last week, never ending journey. Grief is not constant, we do get breaks, sometimes long ones, but the sorrow and heaviness can always return. Like all pain experiences, each grief experience is unique. However, there are some that we can all image to be harder to carry than others. To a child the loss of a parent or sibling or to a parent the loss of a child are among the most profound emotional pains a human can hold. Often, we are underprepared to support someone through such profound pain. This is where people with personal or professional experience are essential and why Supporting Kidds is so amazing.
Supporting Kids is a center for grieving children and their families. It is a home that has been JOYFULLY repurposed into a nurturing, healing and caring center. They offer group and individual programs at the center and in schools. They help children and families normalize their feelings, share sorrow, find joy, and move forward with care and purpose. Considering that 1 in 10 children in Delaware will experience the loss of a parent or sibling before they are 18, there are plenty of families in Delaware that could benefit from their care. Extensive research has proven that major life events like the loss of a parent or sibling can set children up for a lifetime of physical and mental health problems (If you want to see the work you can find it here).
THANKFULLY, It is also known that just one caring person can reverse the physical and emotional impact of these experiences. You can find that information here. Supporting Kidds cared for 590 children in 2025, but there are over 19,000 children in Delaware who are grieving the loss of a parent or sibling. SO, they need our help. Please consider attending their Hearts that Heal Gala on November 14, 2026, or make a donation or offer to volunteer. I know that like me, you will find so much joy in supporting this amazing non-profit.
Thank you!
No AI was used in the creation of this post