Being present and spending time with a grieving friend is vitally important.
Seeing a friend through a period of grief can be difficult. We all grieve differently, and some friends may isolate themselves and grieve alone, which can be a tough routine to break. Show your friend that you are concerned by giving them a gift that reflects your love and commitment to seeing them through this truly life-changing experience. Whether it's a book, a day of laughter or taking on new challenges together, a gift that shows concern for a grieving friend means breaking through the sadness and being there for the rebuilding.
Books
Books on grieving can offer action plans for getting back into life.
Books can offer grieving friends helpful advice and coping mechanisms, even when they reject the idea of grief counseling. Whether they read them immediately or let them sit on a bookshelf for a year, having handy, expert advice on move out of grief when they are ready is an appreciated and thoughtful idea. There are many books to choose from including "Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies" by Therese A. Rando and "The Mourning Handbook: The Most Comprehensive Resource Offering Practical and Compassionate Advice on Coping with All Aspects of Death and Dying" by Helen Fitzgerald.
Pair up the book with a blank journal and a decorative pen to encourage your friend to write out her feelings on a daily basis. Writing and journaling is a useful way for men and women to express their innermost feelings without the self-censorship applied during most conversations. Providing a journal with perhaps a loving inscription is a wonderful gift for a grieving friend.
Laughter Heals
Setting up a monthly movie night gives grieving friends something to look forward to.
We all know that "laughter is the best medicine," and if your friend is hibernating in grief and reticent to leave the house for much needed socialization, surprise him with a gift basket full of comedy DVDs and a box of microwave popcorn for two. Share the sofa together and watch hilarious titles like "There's Something About Mary," "The Princess Bride," and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," depending on his personal taste. Whether it's a Three Stooges marathon or a day of "I Love Lucy" repeats, sharing a laugh with a grieving friend shows you care enough to be there through the grief and that laughter can still be had while going through the process. Make the movie marathon a monthly tradition to continue to support the grieving friend.
New Adventures
Learning something new will help to develop new routines.
Show concern for your grieving friend by helping her break a rut of isolation. Introduce her to experiences that may help give her a spark of life anew. Whether you take her rock climbing at the local recreation sports store or spend a day learning to blow glass at an artisan's studio, a new experience can help break the habit of sadness and grief and can begin to build new routines and provide things to occupy the mind and body.
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