Today is Thanksgiving in the States. It is a day for sleeping, shopping, eating…What could be bad?
When I began my blog journey, I did not know what to expect. Sometimes, we don’t speak with the people we share walls with, and those across the world, help us to tear them down. To each of you who has read, liked, followed or commented, I give my thanks to you. It means more than you know!!
With the wonder of Thanksgiving, and the Holidays in the sparkling and bright way they light up the darkness and cold of the Winter, we should all feel wonderful, right?
For those who are still grieving, or have experienced a loss, the Holidays can be an extremely difficult time. Every image we see is of a full, loving family, generations side by side, glorying in the glow of the fireplace and the warmth of a fulfilled life.
However, these holidays can also emphasize the losses (ok, let’s be honest, it is not a loss, it is a GAPING HOLE). When the whole world is celebrating, you may feel the most alone. If it is not you, then it is someone nearby.
Platitudes do not comfort; for me, they bring out my anger at the complete lack of understanding. Some people cause such pain and hurt to another that it ought to be illegal.
There are many things for which I am blessed, thankful and grateful. But, my beloved mother and grandmother will not be at our Thanksgiving table. The tableau of family photos have noticeable gaps.
Each time we think we have crossed a threshold, the pain washes anew with a force we thought had passed. Again, the speeches about how much time has elapsed and the “life has to go on” comments don’t heal the wounds. They just remind us that we have one, or more, less people in the world to love and comfort us with the right words or no explanation needed at all.
To those of you who are experiencing your first Holiday Season without your loved one — or your fifth, tenth, or twenty-fifth — please know that you are not alone. You are entitled to grieve as long and in any manner you deem appropriate and safe for you. I may be far away, off in cyber world, but please know that I do empathize and hope that you find some measure of peace.
I hope that you find something during this time that makes you smile or laugh momentarily. I also hope that you don’t beat yourself up or feel guilty for finding that moment. Each smile helps you to keep going until the next wave hits.
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The following is from a beautiful blog about grief and loss: http://lifesnextchaptercoaching.com
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As far as I can see it, there aren’t a lot of resources for instructing people on how to best support a person who is experiencing grief from loss in their lives.
There are times when I feel I must apologize for my fellow human beings when my clients share what people have said to them or some of the thoughtless ways they have been treated at their time of loss. I believe that people mean well. It’s just that most of us don’t have a very comfortable relationship with strong emotions like grief, anger, or hopelessness. When feelings like this are expressed in our midst, we will tend to gloss over it or try to shut it down entirely.
Learning to tolerate other’s reactions to your grief can be one of the most painful, yet necessary tasks of rebuilding your life after loss.
“You’re young, you’ll get married again someday.” “I know how you feel….my grandma passed away too.” “It’s been a year now, aren’t you over this yet?” “He’s moved on. You need to move on too.” “Don’t feel bad, he’s in a better place.” “You need to be strong for the children.” “Time heals all wounds.” If you are grieving the loss of your spouse through death or divorce, it’s likely that you’ve heard these types of statements from those in your world. How helpful are they? Not helpful at all, according to a study of grievers done by the Grief Recovery Institute.
One of the more unusual comments I’d heard was one that a widow shared with me. Someone asked her, “Do you feel him yet?” about her deceased husband. She was unsure what to reply to this. We bandied around a few options (some not fit to print) and she settled on something like, “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about that.”
Many people just don’t know what to say when they encounter someone who is suffering. It’s a rare person who is comfortable enough with his/her own emotional life that can tolerate the grief of another. For those of you who are experiencing intense grief, I understand it’s enough to put you into a rage when you feel misunderstood on top of everything else you are going through. The thing about the statements above is that they cause more harm than good, even if the intentions behind them are the best. So why do people keep saying them? It’s likely that they have not received feedback from a stunned griever that is sufficient to get the point across. In other words, we don’t know any better. Isn’t it time we learned?
In my perfect universe, everyone would be taught how to approach a grieving person with empathy and to really think before they do or say something that may unintentionally contribute to their suffering. I do understand that another person can’t “make” you feel anything, that each person has the responsibility for their reactions to people and situations in their lives. However, there are times when tact, good manners, and compassion are sorely lacking in our society and a little grief awareness and sensitivity training are in order. Think of it as Empathy 101….
Five Really Helpful Things You Can Do/Say if Someone You Know Is Grieving:
1. Ask, “How are you doing?” Then listen with your heart to the answer without changing the subject or terminating the conversation through one of the statements above. Create a space for them to talk about their experience if they would like to. You might feel honored that they trusted you enough to give an honest answer if it’s something other than “Fine.”
2. Say that you just found out about the loss from them. Rather than the obligatory “I’m sorry for your loss,” or “I’m sorry that your marriage didn’t work out for you,” try this instead: “I can’t imagine what this is like for you,” followed by “How are you doing?” Everyone’s grief is different. Even if you’ve experienced loss, you really don’t know how they feel. Let them tell you about it in their own words.
3. “I’d like to help. Would you like me to __________?” Insert specific tasks that you are willing to do that you think might be helpful like “mow the lawn, walk the dog, watch the baby, sit with you, help you clear the garage,” etc. Then show up and do it if the answer is “Yes.” Try to avoid the non-comittal, “Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.” No one believes you really mean it.
4. When someone cries in front of you, all you have to do is stay put and say something in a soothing voice like, “It’s OK….let that out….I’m here for you.” Comforting them with a touch on the arm or a hug is great too. Just do your best to stay present and don’t try to “fix” it. Don’t hand them a tissue unless they ask for it. The tears will come to a natural completion of their own accord.
5. Do your best to keep your relationship intact. Avoiding a grieving person because it’s uncomfortable for you to be with them is really hard for them. You can imagine the feelings of isolation they would be feeling if everyone in their lives reacted this way. It’s OK to say the name of the person that is gone. It’s OK to ask what happened. It’s OK to talk about the strangeness of it all. It’s even OK to cry in front of them or with them. Your silence and avoidance is what could make it truly painful for the griever.
People experiencing grief need to be heard, seen, understood, felt. They need to know that they aren’t alone. Know that your love and empathy will go a long way towards supporting a grieving person in their deepest time of need. Know that they would do it for you, too.
The current issue of Forbes magazines, dated December 2, 2013, is currently on newsstands. It contains the extraordinary stories of the Forbes 400, the wealthiest, and greatest philanthropists, in the world, and what drives them. The richest men and women in the world are driven to succeed, but also to help others to succeed. It is their heart and nostalgic support for their hometown communities that allow locales to develop and create heroes out of neighbors. Their stories are inspirational.
The Forbes 400 Global Summit was held to combine talents and energies to deal with issues such as global poverty and become catalysts of change. Additionally, they sought to create best practices and gathered intelligence to keep philanthropy growing, thriving and self-expanding. Creating systemic and pattern changes can create more effective methods of collaboration and expansion.
Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka, expressed his belief that measurement of services was not enough. To create lasting and meaningful change, a habit of teaching empathic behavior will help to reframe the social network and understanding of the power of giving. To create lasting change will require teaching and training future generations the power of empathy. Drayton believes that cognitive empathy is a learned skill and should be taught in the classroom. “Cognitive empathy is necessary to play in the game. When you have a person that has this power, they can become a change-maker.” Drayton believes that this skill, along with technology, will create global change-makers that will be unstoppable.
The success of cohesive planning among similar charities around the world will enable philanthropic efforts to go further and grow farther using the head and the heart.
In this issue of Forbes, Credit Suisse included a 32 page outline and summary of the thoughts and conclusions at the global Philanthropic Summit. The full details can be found here:
Click to access Credit_Suisse_2013_REPORT.pdf
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To all of you who read these posts and share the inspiration to do good, share empathy and kindness, I thank you! It means more than you know.
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In the midst of things going wrong, and life taking turns we did not expect, remember that you may be the Angel that someone else is waiting for.
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thanks for stopping by! it means more than you know.
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theempathyqueen 