{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 318: Jenny & Jesse's Mom","description":"Jerry\u2019s passion is helping bereaved children. When I was first introduced to her, Jerry was described as a widowed mother with a heart for grieving kids. She\u2019d written Joy Overcame Sorrow, a fictional tale for late\u2011elementary and middle\u2011school readers about a ten\u2011year\u2011old girl coping with her father\u2019s death. The story follows Joy\u2019s grief journey, letting parents buy a companion workbook so children can record their own feelings while reading. I booked Jerry for the show because listeners frequently ask how parents can support grieving children. I didn\u2019t realize her personal loss mirrored our own so closely. Jerry lost her husband her best friend \u2014 and raised their young family alone. Before that, she endured four pregnancy losses, including delivering and burying two infants, Jenny and Jesse. Those early tragedies marked her first encounter with deep grief and forced her to help her surviving kids navigate sorrow. Little did she know the next forty years would bring more loss, both as a widow and as a K\u20119 teacher working with grieving students. In the classroom, Jerry advised fellow teachers on supporting grieving children. Many educators feel helpless; asking parents is tough because they, too, are immersed in grief. Colleagues urged her to write a book to help grieving children. Jerry had already published a non-fiction book, helping widows rediscover joy after loss, but writing for children would prove to be very different indeed.  Instead of a non\u2011fiction how\u2011to guide, Jerry chose fiction \u2014 a powerful decision. Stories teach while comforting, allowing children to see themselves reflected without overt instruction. Kids gravitate to narrative\u2014they don\u2019t want to feel singled out. By experiencing grief through Joy\u2019s eyes, they learn, empathize, and feel less alone. Her novel and its workbook now serve as a gentle bridge for families and teachers navigating the delicate path of loss together. To learn more about Jerry and her writing, visit drjerrylwoodbridge.com. ","author_name":"Losing a Child: Always Andy's Mom","author_url":"http:\/\/andysmom.com","html":"