Preparation

Props:

• a cardboard box containing a dog dish, leash, squeaky toy, and a bag of chew treats
• a plate of carrot sticks and apples slices
• a small table, perhaps with a pretty cloth on it like a ritual table
  (if the table has different height settings, use the one lowest to the ground for child accessibility)
• (optional) a stuffed dog that looks like a basset hound
• (optional) a coloring page or other at-your-seat activity related to this story or grief in general

You can make the basset stuffy behave in ways described in the story; for example, putting his head on your knee, wagging his tail…. Optionally, show photo(s) of basset hound(s) on screen(s) too. Use different voices for each speaking character, and feel free to ad lib as you are connecting with the kids.

Script

Intro

Our topic in worship today is grief. I’m going to share with you a story about a family that is sad because a pet died.

Can you listen for clues about how people are feeling and how they show those feelings? I’m going to ask you after the story what you noticed.

There will also be some times in the story when you can help with some actions—so watch for that.

Story

Becky is sad because the family dog died. Becky is eight years old and this is the first time she has gone through the loss of death. She can’t remember a time before Floppy, their basset hound. (They called him Floppy because basset hounds have long floppy ears.)

It’s only been three days since Mom found Floppy, still and cold in his doggy bed. Already Becky misses him terribly. Dad stomps around the house, shutting doors extra-hard and grumbling about small things, like the fact that Becky’s brother Stu forgot to take out the trash last night. Stu has been spending more time than usual playing video games since Floppy died.

Mom keeps reminding Becky to give Floppy fresh water—even though she put Becky’s dishes and leashes and toys in a box in the garage. Mom and Becky are missing the daily walk with Floppy after school, too. Mom seems to get teary every day at walk time.

As for Becky, she wonders how she will cope without their dear doggie. Floppy was a member of their family. The plump basset hound had waddled around, following Becky throughout the house and looking at her with those big mournful eyes.

Floppy often sensed when Becky was upset or anxious. He would come nudge his nose against her leg, or rest his soft head on her knee. It always made her feel better. Becky needs comfort now, in her sadness, but Floppy is not there to snuggle her. Floppy will never snuggle her again. It’s not fair!

Later, Becky sits down with her copy of [insert name of a popular chapter book here]. Usually she loves reading this book. But she has to keep reading the same paragraph over and over again. By the time she gets to the end of the paragraph, she has forgotten what it said at the beginning.

“Are you okay?” asks Stu. Becky looks up, startled to find that her brother has gotten up from his Sims game to walk over to her by the couch. Stu is a decent older brother, but not usually the touchy-feely kind. So when he reaches his arms out to Becky, offering a hug, the tears start streaming down her face.

“I miss Floppy too,” Stu tells Becky. It may be the best big brother hug she’s ever had. And is that a sniffling sound coming from Stu?

The next weekend, the family decides to remember their dog through a ritual. Mom calls it a Celebration of Life for Floppy. The four of them sit together in the living room. Mom has brought back in from the garage the box with all of Floppy’s stuff.

Becky starts them off. She pulls Floppy’s water dish out of the box and puts it on the coffee table. [Invite a child to find the dish in the box, and place it on your ritual table.] “I miss giving Floppy fresh water every day,” she says. “But I especially miss being able to pet Floppy. He was so soft, and so nice.”

Stu goes next. He grabs a squeaky toy from the box and sets it down in front of them. [Invite a child to do so.] “I liked playing fetch with Floppy,” Stu says. “And the way Floppy flopped around in the leaves in the fall made me laugh!”

Then Mom puts Floppy’s leash on the coffee table. [Invite a child to do so.] “I miss taking Floppy for walks. He loved to meet other dogs, and to smell interesting things,” Mom says.

Last, Dad pulls out one of Floppy’s chew treats. [Invite a child to place on table.] “Floppy was a sweet dog,” Dad says. “Even when I had a bad day, he was happy to see me, and would come running with that little tail wagging. We will miss him.”

“There will never be another Floppy,” Stu agreed.

“We might decide to get another pet someday,” Mom said, “but we will always cherish our memories of Floppy. There will always only be one Floppy.”

And then she put out a plate of carrot sticks and apple slices—foods that the family would sometimes give to Floppy as treats. As Becky bit into a carrot, she had the feeling that things were going to be okay. She still missed Floppy. But she was all right.

The End.

Wrap-Up

How did family members feel about losing Floppy? How could you tell? [Acknowledge that all of the feelings are normal parts of grief and are okay.]

What helped them to deal with their feelings?

Have you ever lost a pet, a grandparent, or someone else? What helped you with your feelings of loss and sadness?

[Offer the kids carrot sticks / apple slices to take back to their seats or to class, to munch on.]

[You could also provide coloring page or other activities related to the topic, if kids stay in sanctuary.]