Losing a parent is one of the hardest things a child—or anyone—can go through. This story isn’t based on just one child, but on the deep understanding that grief comes with many emotions, all of them real, all of them valid.

I wrote Okay to Cry to remind children that whatever they feel—sadness, anger, confusion, even moments of laughter—it’s all okay. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve. What matters most is knowing they’re not alone and that the adults around them will support them through it.

Sometimes, just hearing “it’s okay to cry” is exactly what a child needs.