MEET: Traci, Abi & Arian
“Grief is hard and it’s hard to know what to do when it’s happening and you’re in that situation.”
When Traci’s family experienced the death of dad Clint, they began a journey of learning how to navigate grief together.
Clint was Traci’s husband and first boyfriend when they met in elementary school, as well as Arian’s father and a loving father figure to Abi. When Clint was diagnosed with cancer, he died just four months later, seven days before Christmas.
After his death, Traci knew she needed help supporting her children through the passing she was struggling to understand herself. The hospice they utilized connected them with Erin’s House.
When they started, Abi was just 12 and at Erin’s House she found comfort in being around other kids who understood the grief she was experiencing. She learned coping skills and, perhaps most importantly, that “it’s okay to be sad and it’s okay to talk about loss.” At the same time, Arian was only 2 and while he couldn’t join groups yet, he enjoyed coming to Erin’s House to play at the train table and join in on pizza dinner as a family.
For Traci, the death of her husband left her overwhelmed and unsure how to talk about it with her children. “I recall introducing myself in the caregiver group and saying that my husband died was very hard for me even as an adult.” At Erin’s House, she found a place where her grief was acknowledged, where she felt less alone, and she learned how to best support her children. “Erin’s House gave my kids a place to understand their grief, find connection and learn that they never have to hide their feelings.” Most importantly, it gave their family “somewhere for the grief to go.”
Today, Abi is 16, Arian is 5, and Traci says that both have grown in their ability to talk about their dad and their grief. “Abi can now support her peers experiencing loss, while Arian has found the words to talk about his dad with friends at school, which he never would’ve done without Erin’s House.”
The family continues to honor Clint in meaningful ways. One tradition they learned through Erin’s House is using a place setting for their missing family member during the holidays, creating space to remember their dad and acknowledge that he is still an important part of their family. “We remember him in all we do and talk about him freely.”
