support

The Power to Offer Comfort to Those Experiencing Grief

The Power to Offer Comfort to Those Experiencing Grief

There is no way to see a 6-year-old body in a casket and not feel something heavy inside. This past week, I was reminded again of the fragility of life and the deep ocean that grief can be as I attended the funeral of my friend’s 6-year-old son who passed unexpectedly and tragically. Coincidentally, my husband was simultaneously out of town attending his uncle’s funeral and our family was also commemorating the anniversary of the death by suicide of a close family member. There was so much inside me as I drove home thinking of all these losses. How could they possibly ever be overcome? I wondered if there was anything I could do the lighten the load of grief for these close friends and family. I thought back to a poem I’d studied in my 8th grade English class by Ella Wilcox called Solitude which ends with this stanza:  

4 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Relationship

4 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Relationship

Considering what we know about the importance of supportive relationships to health and happiness, Gottman’s research on couple relationships is gold. We know, on average, that married people are more healthy both physically and mentally. In fact, a person’s romantic relationship affects their health just as much as diet and exercise.

Be a Friend, Make a Friend: Cultivating Supportive Relationships

Be a Friend, Make a Friend: Cultivating Supportive Relationships

When this relationship unexpectedly came to an end, I thought I would certainly be totally and utterly alone after neglecting and even chipping away at some very dear relationships. However, in my moment of distress, stalwart friends came to my rescue and carried me through my difficult times. I now want to be that same kind of friend in return.