Today’s Ten on Tuesday Topic~
Ten Things You Can Do To Be Supportive When Someone Dies
Linking up over at Carole Knits…
I feel very inadequate when it comes to offering comfort or doing things for others during a time of loss. Different things speak to different people, so unless I am very personally close to them, I feel very unsure of how to reach out.
Not necessarily a light-hearted, easy subject, but one that affects us all and is a part of life until Jesus returns and conquers Satan, sin and death!!
Here are a few kind gestures that come to my mind as a way to express sympathy and kindness and caring.
1. Send a kind note or card.
2. Sometimes you don’t need to say much. Just show you care.
3. Food. It is always a help. I know when my grandparents died, the meals that were fixed and provided or the food that was delivered to my parent’s house was definitely a blessing and help.
4. Ask what they need.
5. Bake a cake and deliver to their door.
6. Give the gift of an encouraging book.
7. Share a memory with them that you have of their loved one. My mother had a baby who was stillborn. She said it meant a lot to her to have people acknowledge him and remember and recognize he was her baby, even though he only lived in the womb. She said she knows it was hard for other people too, because there weren’t really memories of his life.
8. Pray for them.
9. Give a hug.
10. Honestly, I’m just drawing a blank. Food is what I keep landing back on. Maybe, because it is such a major part of life, too. I just remember it was so nice to sit down to good meals that we hadn’t needed to think about preparing.
Once again, I feel very inadequate in this area. However, just knowing that other people care is a comfort and the offering of their time and efforts is appreciated.
What has been especially meaningful to you in a time of loss?
I’m in complete agreement with food. It’s good for the giver to be able to do something and tangibly show they care, and good for the recipients to be nourished by something they haven’t had to prepare.
Food . . . sustenance. It’s a perfect way to reach out to someone in pain.
Pray for them – so very important!
We all draw blanks when we try to think of something to help, but maybe just being there silently is enough. You have many good thoughts on your list.
For me when my FIL died, we had younger children, 4 & 1. Child care was great!! We were so busy on the phone and coming & going preparing things that it was nice to have someone make sure they got naps at nap time and food when we were still on the phone or gone past lunch time. The children were still there at the house but someone stepped up and took them under their wing, while Mom and Dad were busy.