When supporting grief, people will probably not respond to ‘is there anything I can do’ but will probably be appreciative of the shopping being done.

For those in grief, there will be days and moments; birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries and events that will be triggers for sadness. Memories conjure up all manner of feelings……..

When in trama, maybe in grief, our ability to reason and to think are compromised. We may need a friend to keep us safe.

Supporting grief may involve being attentive to the same fears, emotions, stories and regrets over and over again. That is quite OK, as it is all part of being able to reconcile the past, with a new reality which is the present, to remember, and to be able to say goodbye. 

It is a privilege to share in someone’s grief journey. You are going into their ‘inner world’ and it will require patience.

In our desperation to try and fill in the gap with some words, sometimes silence is the best answer. Not a silence that is uncomfortable, but a silence that might even say “I am not quite sure of the words right now, but is it OK for me just to sit with you.”

Death is an awkward reality. When we are wanting to support someone in grief, there is some unhelpful things, often our words that can be unhelpful.