How to Comfort Those Who Grieve (Adult)
- Be There: Attend the funeral, visit, call, and spend time with those
grieving. Particularly after the initial attention subsides, bring
food, do errands.
- Listen: Grieving people need to talk about this sudden vacuum in their
lives. Allow them to know what you wish to hear about their
experiences. "I'd like to be here with you for a while if you'd
like to talk." "It's hard to believe that he's gone, isn't it?"
- Send a Note: Notes can share personal memories, short and simple.
"I'm thinking of you during these painful days." "I am praying for
you during this time."
- Give a Gift: A collection of poems. A book to the library in memory of the
deceased. A donation to a related charity.
- Extend an Invitation: Consider what the person likes to do. Eat out? Go to a play?
Take a drive? Bereaved people often decline invitations or
cancel at the last minute. Don't give up. Ask again. Don't
forget the person after time has passed.
