How do children really grieve—and why do we so often miss it? On this deeply moving episode of M.E.S.H., Dr. Pamela Brewer welcomes Kelly Edmondson, a nurse executive, certified grief counselor, and founder of Timely Presence, an organization she created after the sudden loss of her 28-year-old son. With extraordinary openness, Kelly shares her own story and then turns toward the children in our lives, helping us understand that just because kids grieve differently doesn’t mean they grieve less. From the danger of well-meaning phrases like “grandpa went to sleep,” to the compounded grief of a child who lost a parent they never knew, to the very real heartbreak of a lost toy or a missed team, Kelly offers compassionate, practical wisdom. Her “three R’s”—regulate, respond, remain—give parents and caregivers a gentle framework for showing up. This is a tender, hopeful conversation about helping children feel seen, heard, and safe, and about how loss can reshape us without defining us.
