Memories

 Often in our society when someone dies many people offer support with words of comfort. The most common phrase I can think of is, I’m so sorry for your loss. Having to live without the physical presence of our loved one is an enormous loss, in fact, we dwell on this loss every day. But have you ever stopped to consider the things that you didn’t lose after their death?

 If you’re like me, it’s hard to know exactly what to do when a friend is grieving deeply. I’ve tried sending flowers, even an occasional chicken pie. Is it “starve a fever, feed a cold? or the other way around?” After a funeral, especially here in the South- the answer is to feed the family…whether they are hungry or not!

What can someone do to make a difference as you begin to heal through grief? You probably have plenty of food, volumes of cards and a house full of flowers, but what kind of gift would genuinely touch your heart?

What can someone do to really make a difference as you begin to heal through grief? You probably have plenty of food, volumes of cards and flowers, but what kind of gift would genuinely touch your heart? The gift of memories. 

The holidays seem to magnify emotions of grief as music, events, even aromas can remind us of the person we are missing. Our family lost two close family members within weeks of the holidays, one right before Thanksgiving and the other two years later on December ninth. I remember thinking it would be nice to just pull the covers over my head and wake up in January.