loved one is dealing with grief? Here are 3 suggestions that may help you to help someone during this holiday season.
1. Allow Your Friend to Grieve
“It will be ok,” sounds like a great way to reassure someone who is going through a rough time. The reality is that when you are dealing with death and/or someone dying, it doesn’t feel like everything will be ok. So, rather than trying to smooth everything over, allow your friend to grieve in a way that he/she needs to.
This may include respecting someone’s desire not to attend social events or someone’s wish not to put up decorations or engage in holiday gatherings. The key thing is to be supportive. If someone doesn’t want to go out, maybe you can offer to visit or you can offer a gift card to his/her favorite restaurant.
2. Listen and Learn
Sharing memories about one’s loved one can be cathartic. Your friend may want to share memories and or pictures and artifacts. As you provide a listening ear, allow your intuition to guide you. Sometimes listening may be all that someone needs. In other instances, asking questions will provide the person who is grieving with a chance to share new memories with you.
Whatever you do, don’t push. Allow your friend to lead the conversation both in terms of