Helping a Friend Through Difficult Times
When somebody’s going through something hard, it can be a challenge to know the best way you can help them. At a minimum, you want to express your sympathy; that helps a lot. Proper sympathy requires empathy, so getting the balance right can be a challenge.
What’s the best way to show your sympathy? There are some situations where you should do more, and others where you should just stand back and let the grieving person process their pain.You’ll have to exercise discretion in some of these situations. Following are three ways to express your sympathy. Hopefully, these suggestions help you determine the best way you should sympathize with a grieving friend.
1. Just Be There, and Listen
These days people don’t let one another talk, and that’s a big problem during tragedies. We tend to “listen” only so we can respond, not so we can truly understand where someone is coming from. It’s a bad idea to talk too much when someone is grieving. Be the best listener you can.
Sure, you want them to know you’re there for them, but often we end up getting more involved in how what they’ve experienced makes us feel, and that doesn’t help the grieving individual. Let them talk, let them vent, and don’t offer solutions (unless asked); really, you’re there to absorb the pain with them. Just let them get the pain out.
2. Sympathy Flowers Are Often Worth It
There are times when someone just needs to be left alone for a while to process something, but it’s worthwhile to check in. A good way to do that is with a gift like sympathy flowers. Check out this link for some advice on things to think about when sending sympathy flowers. You’ll usually have the option to include a message in a card, and that’s a good idea.
Sympathy flowers tell a person that you’re thinking about them, that you care how they feel, and that they should feel better. A beautiful bouquet on a table is also a reminder that somewhere out there, somebody cares.
https://pixabay.com/photos/flowers-vase-bouquet-arrangement-7002380/
3. Help Them Around the House With Little Chores
If you’re really close to somebody and they’re in a pit of grief, you can help by just doing a few little things around the house. Maybe clean the dishes or take out the trash for them; walk the dog, or make them a snack. Do little things they’d normally do themselves, but have neglected owing to their pain. This will take away one more worry from them, aiding recovery.
Showing Your Friend You Care
Helping with chores, sending flowers, and simply being there to listen represent three straightforward, solid ways to show someone who is grieving that you sympathize with them.
These aren’t the only options out there, but hopefully, at minimum, these ideas help get you started in the right direction. We all go through things in life. When you can be there for your friends or family, that’s very important.