Camp helps kids cope with death

Mariposa offers ages 6 to 11 a safe place to be sad

Though she doesn't remember the father who died in an accident when she was just 11 days old, Hannah Farmer has always felt his absence.

"People don't understand how you can grieve for someone you have never met," the now 17-year-old Centennial High School student said. "It was difficult because I wish I could have talked to him and told him what was going on in my life."

Farmer believes dealing with grief is especially difficult for children because they aren't always encouraged to express their sadness.

"People don't know how to deal with grieving people, especially children," she said.

That's why, Farmer said, places like Camp Mariposa are so important.

A grief and loss counseling camp for children, the annual Camp Mariposa at Mount Charleston teaches children between the ages of 6 and 11 how to better deal with the loss of a family member, classmate, friend or other significant person in their lives.

The camp is sponsored by the Center for Compassionate Care, a nonprofit life transition counseling agency and member of the Nathan Adelson Group. This year's camp will be held Aug. 26-28.

Farmer attended the three-day camp when she was 9 years old.

"I was very anxious as a child," she said. "(Camp) gave me the chance to get away from home and think about things."

It also gave her the opportunity to be with other children who had experienced loss and to explore that experience together.

"It's a place where kids are allowed to be sad," Farmer said. "They get to express what they don't always get to express."

While there, campers participate in activities such as writing letters to their deceased loved ones, burning the letters in a campfire and imagining the smoke is rising to reach heaven.

"You learn that you are not quite the same after a loss," Farmer said. "But you can be whole again."

Not everything at Camp Mariposa is so serious. There's also plenty of time to play and enjoy scenic walks in nature.

"You don't want to express sadness for three straight days," Farmer said.

Camp Mariposa director Sharon Johnson said attending the camp can make children stronger and better able to cope.

"(The camp) helps the children see themselves as survivors of their loss," she said. "By confronting death, most children will overcome their fears. They learn it's OK to talk about death and loss."

Farmer found the camp so valuable that she decided to help out when she got older. This will be her second summer working as a Camp Mariposa counselor.

Attending camp also helped her decide to pursue a career in social work after college. In her free time, Farmer volunteers at Nathan Adelson Hospice, visiting patients there.

Applications for Camp Mariposa are available by calling the Center for Compassionate Care at 796-3167. The fee is $125 per child, and includes food, lodging and activities. Some scholarships also are available.