When you learn a friend or co-worker is newly widowed, what do you say? What can you do?

Think first. 

When you learn a friend or co-worker is widowed, reach out — and listen. (photo by Teresa TL Bruce, TealAshes.com)

• Are you rushing to say the first (clichéd) thing that pops into your mind?
  • Most trite sayings sting rather than soothe, but sincerity reaches hearts.
  • Avoid phrases like “in a better place” and “better off” in your attempts at consolation.
• How will your words sound to the person grieving their life partner?
  • Are you offering validation of their pain and showing you recognize the unique nature of their loss? Great. Proceed.
  • Or are you rushing to minimize the loss in the misplaced hope of making the mourner feel better? Think again.
  • Avoid saying “at least” about anything related to the death or what preceded it.
• Are you adding to or draining from the strength of the bereaved?
  • Avoid asking, “How are you?” — because when acutely grieving, they’re not doing well enough to know how to answer — unless you’re tying the question to a solution for your friend (“How are you getting your family from the airport? May I pick them up for you?”).
  • Avoid asking, “What do you need?” or “What can I do for you?” Most mourners are too overwhelmed by grief to know.
• Neither blame nor shame the bereaved or the deceased.
  • This isn’t the time to lecture suicide survivors about mental health issues.
  • This is not the time to say the person who died should have known better than to smoke or to drink and drive or to cross the street or to neglect regular checkups or to eat as they did …
  • This is not the time to blame the now dead firefighter, policeman, or military service person for choosing that profession.
• Remember, this isn’t about you. It’s about reaching out in support of your friend, co-worker, or relative who’s mourning.
  • It’s helpful to remember your own losses and how they made you feel, but never compare your loss to the bereaved unless you’re doing so in a way that validates theirs.
    • I found it comforting when older widows said things like “I can’t imagine what it would be like to still be raising children as a widow. It was hard enough with mine already grown. Bless you.”
    • And it felt validating when younger widows said things like “I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be widowed after 24 years. It was hard enough for me after our 12 years together. I’m so sorry.”

Speak up next.

• “I’m sorry.”
• “I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I’m here for you.” (Follow this up by being there.)
• “I want to help, but I don’t know how, so may I come sit with you in the meantime?”
• “May I do this [specific task] for you?”
• “I will miss him [or her] too, though I know you’re hurting much more.”
• “I wish you had more time with [speak the name of the deceased].”
• “I’d love to hear more about [speak the name of the deceased] when you feel like talking.”
• “I’m sorry.” (Yes, I repeated this, and it’s okay for you to repeat it too.)

And act.

• Do (or send) practical help: pull weeds, shovel snow, bring food, pick up dry cleaning, tend children, make phone calls, wash dishes or laundry (BUT do NOT touch items belonging to or last used by the deceased without first getting explicit permission from the mourning, widowed partner) …
• Follow up. If you promised to check in next week, do it. If you offered to have lunch together, set it up and don’t back out. If you mentioned a book you found helpful when you were grieving a similar loss, and if your mourning, widowed friend seemed interested, bring a copy to him or her.
• Set reminders. Offer support throughout the weeks and months following the death. Note significant dates in your calendar (anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, diagnosis dates, etc.), and let your friends know you’re thinking of them as those dates approach.
• Don’t take it personally if grieving friends don’t return messages or phone calls. Sometimes grief is too overwhelming for such seemingly simple tasks.

Repeat.

When friends are grieving, they get to decide what is helpful or what is offensive. Again, it’s not about you. If they say you’ve done something hurtful, own it. Apologize rather than defending yourself, and do better in the future. (And be proud of yourself for reaching out despite the discomfort of acknowledging death and loss. Thanks for reaching out to your friends.)