by Jonah, age 15

Why we're lovin' it: Sometimes we lose someone close to us. It happens to the best and worst of us, and it's simply a part of life. But what happens when someone who is close to you dies and you didn’t always get along? What if there was a conversation you wanted to have with a loved one who passed but you never got to have that conversation? Well, that’s (partially) what the book Maus is about.

In the book, we follow Vladek Spigelman as he remembers his life through the holocaust. The book is written and narrated by Vladek’s son, Art. When Vladek dies, Art in my opinion, handles the death quite well. But here's the thing: Art didn't like his dad. Now, obviously Art loved his dad, but Art didn't really like him.

This was for good reason. Vladek was constantly mistreating Art and his wife, and Vladek was all around kind of a jerk. Making racist remarks and using his survival of the holocaust to get pity and even discounts on groceries.

But even through all of this, Art was able to push through and pursue. He was able to talk about his feelings and put his emotions into something productive. Like in this case, a book!

My point with all of this is it's ok to not like the person you're grieving. It's ok to still be mad at them, and it's even ok to want to yell at them. That's all a part of grief. And as I'm sure you've been told, grief looks different for everyone.

If you're still mad at the person you're grieving, I encourage you to have that conversation with them. Write a letter, make a song, heck, talk to them like they're still there. But whatever you do, don't let that anger fester, because it will come back to bite you. Every, single, time.

by Sydney, age 16

Why we're lovin' it: "Five Feet Apart" (Amazon Prime) is an incredible story about a teenage girl with cystic fibrosis, a life threatening condition which you can’t interact with anyone else who has the same condition. She is a rule-following girl who has planned out her life around her condition, but then she meets a boy who also has cystic fibrosis, who begins to push her out of her comfort zone. 

He shows her the beauty of living life to the fullest and not always caring what others will say. He believes in living everyday like it’s his last! As they begin to fall in love, they realize how hard it will be as they can’t be within five feet of each other. 

I think this movie represents the same message learned through the process of grieving. You must live life to its fullest because you never know what will happen next! It is so easy to be separated from those you love so don’t wait to tell them you love them!

This movie represents how I feel about my grief because I know what it’s like to regret not spending those last moments with the person you lost! I believe that grief can be interpreted in so many different ways and I think this movie is an incredible way to express your emotions while relating to the characters struggles of constantly losing people they love.

by Jocelyn, age 13

Why we're lovin' it: The song "Died" by Alice in Chains, released in 1999, definitely represents my grief. The meaning of the song is particularly about the loss of lead vocalist Layne Staley's ex-fiancée, Demri Lara Parrott, who sadly passed away due to addiction in 1996.

I lost my dad to addiction. This song also resonates with me because I also express my grief through music. I don’t really like to talk about my grief or express it through words, but I find it easier to show what I’m feeling through music. Grief can be happy or sad, just like music. But with words, it’s hard to say what you truly feel.

Overall, this song shows that it’s okay to feel sad and overwhelmed about death, grief, and many other things. It reflects the pain that Staley and other people (like me) feel after losing someone to addiction or other causes.

So many of us share this kind of pain, and this song has become an anthem for those affected by loss. It creates a sense of safety and reassurance in knowing that someone else has gone through the same thing.

Why we're lovin' it: We love this personal essay by our Youth Advisory Board member Sarafina, age 17, called "How a Guitar Helps Heal My Grief."

We don't always get to hear from young people who are not only grieving the death of a family member, but also grieve the fact that they were too young when the person died to hold many (or sometimes any) memories.

That's Sarafina's story.

But as she shares in her this essay, she was able last year to finally find a genuine connection to her dad who died by suicide after she picked up his old guitar.