Mourning of loss of childhood and the love of stories

It is maybe sometimes overlooked that young people experience a deep sense of loss when they are in transition. Especially the transition from primary to secondary school which coincides often with the first signs of puberty and adolescence opens up a new world of feelings so far only read about, witnessed in an older sibling or conveyed by others what to expect. What is not so much expressed in stories and maybe also not so much talked about is the deep sense of loss that a young person can experience during this transition, the loss of a body that they could take for granted all being well, a body that did not have that many demands and did not disturb the status quo of being in charge and a the top of one’s game, an experience many a ten, eleven years old person share. The loss of this experience of not being disturbed by the body can provoke deep feelings of existential anxiety and can provoke feelings of sadness and loss of a sense of continuity of self. Stories that address these experiences can help the young person feel understood and recognised.

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