Thursday, February 3, 2011

"How to Help Your Grieving Friend"

Molly Piper is a sweet blogger. She is encouraging, honest, and I always glean something from her insights. She has the most adorable kids who do silly things. Anyways, she lost her daughter as a stillborn and after reflecting on everything, wrote a very helpful little series about grieving that I have enjoyed, and thought I would share.

Posts in this series:


Though I obviously have not lost a child, grieving has some similar tendencies, and I definitely relate to her posts. It was a blessing to have people bring over food. It is great when people ask me specific questions. I wish someone would clean my house. Dont tell me that my dad "lives as my guardian angel in my heart." And I'm both scatterbrained and exhausted (though not as much any more), and hope no one feels offended if I have forgotten to call or do something with them. 

My sister reminded me that is has been a month since my dad died. I cant even believe it at all, because the  whole thing feels like it could have happened yesterday. Wow.

God has been my comforter, provider, and father in ways I never would have imagined, and while I am trying to "take joy in my trials," I am definitely not enjoying it at all. 

Anyways. I am so thankful for the people who have dug down in and asked those awkward questions to see how I am since I'm not especially good at communicating that kind of thing. Haha. 

Read those posts. Let me know what you think! 
Have any other ideas of something that was helpful to you in a rough time?

3 comments:

Amy said...

Thanks for your honesty and for posting this series. I could relate with her suggestions and also found them very helpful and hope to apply them as opportunity comes.

A month...wow. So sorry...

Alissa:Adventurer said...

Thanks for reading Amy. And I'm glad those suggestions were helpful to share!!! (But hopefully you don't have to use them tooooo soon!)

Nate said...

Thanks for sharing Alissa, its good to know those things, It may seem a bit strange, but I also think that grieving people need to realize that those trying to help may and often have no idea how to really help, chances are many of them have never experienced the same thing, they don't have the feelings and they don't know the details, I have seen many broken friendships due to this, not often by the person in grief, but because of the response from the person in grief to the other person, because they feel they are being a jerk, they snap and can hurt the other persons feelings terribly, when in reality the other is just trying to help. I guess in some ways it takes understanding on both ends.