Being There For A Friend After Loss

When you hear that a friend of yours has lost a loved one close to them, your heart goes out to them. Perhaps you have had that happen to you and you understand how hard the grief can be. Being there for your friend now, before, during, and after services at cemeteries in Petaluma, CA can mean a lot to them. You can’t make things better for them, but your support will mean the world and really can help them through this hard time. Here are some things you can to do be there for them.

Be Available When They Need You

When you first learn that your friend has lost a family member, you might want to check in on them and let them know you are sorry for their loss. You can then let them know you will be thinking of them and that you are there for them whenever they need you. Check-in on certain details and offer specific types of help. And when they contact you with a need, be available to them in whatever way they need it.

Don’t Try To Say The Right Things

There’s nothing you can say or do to make your friend feel better or to take away their pain. Saying things that sound cliché won’t help. You don’t have to say anything at all, in fact. You can give them a tight hug and that will convey your compassion. Trying to say the right things can come off as insincere. And those phrases aren’t going to help, anyway.

Offer Assistance Where You Can

Your friend might not be able to handle everything they need to arrange after their loved one passed on, but they have people like you supporting them to pick up the slack. You might offer to arrange the reception after the funeral for them, for example, or you can ask if they need help with errands or food. You can also do things like mow their lawn, set up a food train, buy stationery for them to use as thank-you cards, and so on.

Check In On Them

While the family will likely rally around your loved one at first, they will fade away and go back to life, but your friend might still be grieving. You are going to want to check in on them and see how they are doing as time passes. Let them know that even though others are moving on quickly, it’s okay if they still need to vent and grieve. And that you are there for them to listen to whenever they need you.

Be At Services, If You Can

Even if you don’t know your friend’s loved one, being at the services can mean a lot to them. You are there to support them and they will know they can count on you throughout the grieving process, even after they have left cemeteries in Petaluma, CA, and are trying to find a new sense of normal to move on.