Human beings are uniquely and wonderfully made; therefore, we also have our own personal and unique way to grieve. If a loved one, friend, acquaintance, or even a stranger is grieving, there are boundaries and gracious ways to communicate to them and comfort them. Textbooks often refer to grief in stages – Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. Understanding the grief someone is barring is not scientific and never the same, which makes trying to offer genuine support, difficult. According to the website healgrief.org, “there is nothing neat or concise when it comes to one’s personal journey with grief.” To read more on this article visit healgrief.org. Furthermore, the article goes on to say, “instead of stages there are more apt to be ‘grief indicators’ and yield to the idea of wording as Yearning, Disbelief about death, Anger, Depressive mood, and Acceptance.”
Losing a loved one has hit close to home several times throughout my life, one of my biggest losses being the loss of my father 15 years ago. I still grieve this loss. I would argue to say that there is never a reasonable amount of time to grieve. You will always carry your loved one with you and have those triggers of ups and downs. As a friend, acquaintance or even a stranger, give the person grieving the space to share and BE present to simply listen; no words are necessary. The willingness to allow a safe place for this person in your life to mourn for a moment means the world. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to be heard and accepted for the person they are in that moment?
For more thoughts on how to be there for someone while they are grieving, visit:
TIME: https://time.com/5118994/advice-for-helping-grieving-friend/
Warm Place: https://www.thewarmplace.org/
Green Wood Funeral Home: https://www.greenwoodfuneralhomes.com/grief-and-healing/
Community Hospice of Texas: https://www.chot.org/services-programs/services-programsgrief-care-services/
About Project 4031
Project 4031, named after the Bible verse Isaiah 40:31, fulfills end of life dreams no matter what age a patient is and offers financial assistance to help families with basic needs. As part of a global initiative, Project 4031 also provides gently used medical equipment to international hospice and palliative care facilities to better the end-of-life journeys for those around the world. For more information, visit project4031.org.
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