Lean on me when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on. — "Lean On Me," Hymn 1021 in Singing the Journey

IN TODAY'S SESSION . . . the theme was "At our church [congregation], we share our sad feelings and have memorial services for people who have died." We created a flower collage [made tissue paper flowers] and had our own Memorial Service with flowers and candles.

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER . . . Read one or more of this session's suggested books, together:

• Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley, 1992. Badger's friends are sad when he dies, but they treasure the legacies he left them.
• The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown, 1958. Children offer a goodbye to a dead bird they find in the woods.
• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, 1987. Trying to overcome his grief, a boy tries to think of the 10 best things about his dead cat.
• My Grandson Lew by Charlotte Zolotow, 1974. Lewis and his mother remember Grandpa, who used to come in at night when Lewis called.
• A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka, 2011. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy's anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog.

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try . . . creating your own ceremony for loss. Find guidance in How to Bury a Goldfish and Other Ceremonies and Celebrations for Everyday Life by Virginia Lang and Louise Nayer (Skinner House Books, 2007); read the section on loss.

A Family Adventure. Visit a cemetery and place flowers on a grave.

A Family Discovery. Together as a family, watch Stevie Wonder's eulogy to George Duke on YouTube.