I think your boss is very lucky to have you to talk to. It is so hard when you feel no one understands how you are feeling. I have only recently found this support group. My husband passed 10 mths ago and i would spend hours on the net looking for groups in Australia where i could talk to people in similar situations. I have finally found an outlet for my emotions and feelings. I am sure you are also getting help from your boss by being able to discuss your feelings too. Good Work.

You are doing the right thing and you will be rewarded for that. Who else can better understand your boss if not you who had been to a similar situation.

It does help us when we help others who are suffering. It's good that you can do that.

As far as his kids are concerned, the first thing I would recommend is that he have a parent-teacher conference with the guidance counselor and school psychologist at their schools. The kids can get counseling for free through school that way, as well as support when they need it in the classroom. I did that for my younger son and it was incredibly helpful. My guys went through all the typical stages of grief just like we do, and when he hit the anger stage he blew up at one of his teachers. That would have been a disaster except for the fact his teachers knew what was going on and knew to expect it might happen at some point. He was a senior in high school at the time and under a lot of pressure as it was, and he wouldn't talk with me - was protecting me from his pain he thought. By working with the guidance counselor, the school psychologist, and his teaching team, we got him through the year successfully and he graduated magna cum laude.

My older son was able to get counseling from the same counselor I saw through our Employee Assistance Program at work, and again it was free. I don't know if you have anything like that where you are working, but if you do then obviously it's something your boss should consider, too.

Hope this helps. Love and Hugs, Martha

It's great that you are of help. Finding professional assistance is very important too. The greatest honor is to be able to learn from our grief, and to be helpful to others going through it.

if i can be bold enough to make a suggestion for your boss. there is an amazing grief camp for children, the webpage is comfortzonecamp.org . it is truly an incredible experience. even if his children are not yet ready to make that kind of leap, the camp has a grief network called hellogrief.com . it is for teenagers who have lost a parent and you set up an online journal to talk with other teens who have suffered the loss of a parent.
your boss is blessed to have you and please know how sorry i am for your loss.
judi