How to help a grieving friend and know what to say to comfort them.
Guest post by Janelle Shantz Hertzler (author of Seasons of Solace) After my husband was killed by a drunk driver, several of my aunts provided time, supplies, and expertise in the area of scrapbooking. Now that I am five years beyond my husband’s death and have worked on graduate studies in the area of trauma …
Comforting the bereaved can seem overwhelming, however it really is possible. Instead of trying to cheer up a grieving friend, focus on being supportive and helpful. Part of being supportive is understanding grief. Another great way to be supportive is to be a great empathetic listener. These two things can do so much to comfort …
When it comes to offering words of sympathy, even close friends are at a loss for words. You may be wondering if you should say something. You might be worried about saying the wrong thing or coming across as insincere. It’s a fast way to get up to speed and/or refresh your memory. Some common …
When it comes to knowing how to express sympathy many people are at a loss for words. Expressing sympathy can seem overwhelming at first glance, but when you look at from the perspective of what you would want if you were the one grieving, it can really put things into perspective. Most grieving individuals simply …
Sympathy and Empathy are closely related yet different. Sympathy will cause you to care enough to want to help a grieving friend. It will fill you with compassion and pity, but empathy will enable you to be understanding and share in another’s feelings. Sympathy and empathy combined can help you provide the right kind of …
Grief is a normal and healthy way to respond to a loss. Understanding the grieving process will help you to provide support to a grieving friend or family member. Most people go through these steps along the journey of accepting a loss: Shock or disbelief Denial Bargaining Guilt Anger Depression Acceptance and hope Symptoms of …
What You Need to Know About the Grieving Process to Comfort the Bereaved Read More »
A grieving child needs to be free to express her feelings and to be sad. If family members are unwilling to mourn or unable to talk about feelings the child may think it is unacceptable to grieve. Sometimes adults want to shield children from sorrow and so they pretend that everything is fine. This can …
Collecting grief quotes and words of sympathy is a little bit like panning for gold, you sift through all the quotes until you find just the perfect treasure and then you save it for just the right occasion. “Tragedy, sadness, loneliness and despair taught me that life is really a beautiful thing; if it wasn’t …
You can help a recently bereaved friend or relative by offering to help with the sympathy thank you notes. Many grieving individuals find that they could use a helping hand with this project. It may even be a burden to them. They want to send out timely and courteous thank you cards, but they don’t …
Many of us struggle to find words of comfort for a grieving friend. Most people are not comfortable around hurting individuals. It can be difficult to strike the balance between being sensitive and being overly concerned about a hurting loved one. Grieving individuals sometimes wish that their friends and family would not feel awkward around …