2. One important and obvious realization when thinking about death is that death is inevitable. The time death will come is uncertain, but that it will arrive is irrefutable.

3. Bereavement refers to the state of loss. Grief is a multi- faceted response to loss. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social and philosophical dimensions. Human beings express a wide variety of grief responses. These are influenced by personality, family, culture, spiritual, and religious beliefs and practices.

4. It is very difficult for parents to talk to children about death and dying, because it is the ultimate loss of control. Technology has brought real and fictional death and dying to all of our homes, as kids are watching TV shows and movies where people are killed, are talking about death, and are experiencing the loss of a loved one. They also see people killed, that show back up in another episode a day later, creating confusion or an illusion. Some parents prepare children for death using nature as the tool. Dying leaves in the fall or the death of a pet might introduce the child to death. Parents that allow the child time to experience the loss of a pet, without softening the blow by immediately buying another animal, may be preparing their child for future losses. Be honest. It’s scary to know the truth, but it’s scarier if you don’t know. Parents can’t fix everything. People can’t always be happy.

5. Since the time of that publication, today’s psychologists generally agree that those reactions are experienced in response to any “loss”, including the loss of life of a loved one. The 5 stages of grief have been revised to include at least 7 responses: - Shock (or Disbelief) - Denial - Anger - Bargaining - Guilt - Depression - Acceptance Probably the most well-known theory on the stages of grief might be from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' 1969 book, "On Death and Dying." In it, she identified five stages that a dying patient experiences when informed of their terminal prognosis... Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

6. STAGE 2: DENIAL -“no, it can’t be”; “this can’t happen”, “I don’t believe it” STAGE 3: ANGER -against those who caused the death -against the government who didn't do more to protect citizens -against God for allowing it to happen -against the dead for not doing more to save themselves (though it seems irrational) -against self (feelings of guilt) STAGE 1: SHOCK -serves to prevent feelings of being overwhelmed, allow time for integration and processing of event at first Individual stages are not necessarily experienced in order, or at all.

7. STAGE 6: DEPRESSION -inability to cope emotionally - feeling that the future looks bleak: "what's the point of anything?" or "what will happen next?“ -physical reactions such as nausea, head or stomach aches, nausea, loss of appetite, etc. -experienced as intense feelings of loss and sadness that may last weeks, months, or years. STAGE 7: ACCEPTANCE -Finding inner strength through listening to each other, support groups, family -Moving toward integration of the experience into one's memory -hope STAGE 4: BARGAINING -“I promise I’ll do better if only…” “Take me instead” STAGE 5: GUILT -feelings of survivor guilt: "Why should I still be alive and they not?” or “If only I had been more or done more”