Shelby visits her father’s grave with her grandparents. She’s feeling angry, hurt, and confused about her dad’s death. As she says, she loves her father in her heart…but hates him in her head. He is gone now and he will never again tuck her in at night, help with her homework, or protect her when she’s scared. He’ll never teach her to drive or watch her get married. So, yes, Shelby loves him, but she says she hates him too.

Shelby needs guidance to understand her feelings, and her therapist is there to help. Together, they explore Shelby’s feelings through artwork, and as she draws, Shelby begins to realize that what she thought was hate might actually be love—and a normal part of loss.

Stacy Downs Colaizzo, MA, brings both her professional and personal experience to bear on Maybe It’s Love, helping children understand the conflicting emotions that come with the death of a parent. With Shelby as their guide, children will learn that sometimes love can seem like anger and hate and that such emotions are a natural part of the grieving process.