After the passing of two of my grandparents within a very short time of each other, I was inspired to write a children’s book with the goal of helping kids (and adults) learn about death, grief, and the power of keeping our loved ones alive inside our hearts.

The House in your heart

by Kevin Lawlor

There once was a lady
Who lived in her bed
With nurses all ‘round
And gray hair on her head

She gave lots of kisses
And big hugs and smiles
And told me great tales
Of when she was a child

Stories of laughter
Adventure and glee
She called me her prince
And I called her ‘Grammy’

I visited her often
And I did love her so
But one day she told me
That soon she must go

But where?” I inquired
As my eyes started welling
“To the house in your heart,
“A most wonderful dwelling.”

“The house in my heart?”
I asked with a stare
“But my heart’s in my body,
There’s no room for one there.”

“But there is,” she said, wiping
The tears from my cheeks
“For your heart is as big
As the ocean is deep.”

“And so that’s where I’ll live,”
Grammy said with a smile
“My gran lived in mine, too,
When I was a child.”

“We’ll build it together,
How about it?” she said
As she cradled me close
In her big comfy bed

"But how will we get there?"
I shyly inquired
"You live in your bed,
And your body is tired."

She said, “Close your eyes now,
And open your heart.
We’ll take the train in,
Then the building can start.”

So I closed my tired eyes
And we boarded the train
And we passed through my heart’s
Mountains, valleys, and plains

As we giggled and gazed
And ate sweets and held hands
We saw castles and creatures
And magical lands

But as soon as we found
The most perfect location
We set off to build
Her new house’s foundation

Right next to a river
With great waterfalls
We gathered some wood
To build big sturdy walls

And we hammered and nailed
And we stayed on our feet
Till the building was done
And the house was complete

With giant front doors
And a roof strong and red
And a big comfy couch
And a big comfy bed

With sunflower fields
And a rainbow outside
And a white horse with wings
For my Grammy to ride

And a chimney with pink smoke
And twinkling white lights
We made certain her house
In my heart was just right

“It’s perfect,” said Grammy
As her eye shed a tear
“Please promise, my prince,
To come visit me here.”

“Of course I’ll come visit,
How could I forget?
But how can I do that?
You don’t live here yet.”

“This is my home now,”
She said, closing her eyes,
“And I’ll always be here
So this isn’t goodbye.”

So I kissed Grammy’s cheek
And I took the train home
From the house in my heart
This time all on my own

When I opened my eyes
I saw hers were still closed
“But she’s safe in the house
In my heart,” I supposed

And each day for some time
I’d go visit her there
Because one day without her
Seemed too hard to bear

But as time ticked away
And the days turned to weeks
And the weeks turned to months
It got easier for me

To remember my Grammy
Without getting sad
And to cherish the memories
And joy that we had

The months turned to years
And now that I’m grown
I can share Grammy’s stories
With a prince of my own

But as my skin wrinkles
And my memory fades
I still hold on tight
To that promise I made

And those days that I miss her
And we feel far apart
I close my tired eyes
And I open my heart

And inside my heart
Still the house we built stands
And the big front doors open
And I take Grammy’s hands

And she tells me the stories
I loved most as a child
Of our memories together
Of our laughter and smiles

And it helps me remember
All the things I forgot
And I always leave knowing
That she loved me a lot

There are times when the people
Whom you love most can’t stay
But remember they never
Go too far away

In your heart, there’s a house
For the loved ones you’ve met
Like grandmas and grandpas
And even your pets

To live on inside you
When it’s their time to go
So when that moment comes
They would want you to know

That if you start to miss them
And you feel far apart
Close your eyes, board the train
To the house in your heart