October 20, 2017
What to Say?
It doesn’t matter how you get the message. A man in uniform, a hospital doctor, a call from their job, a letter from a mission council: it doesn’t matter the messenger, when you hear “we regret to inform you…” with the universal calm sadness people use, you don’t hear anything else. It doesn’t matter if the name they give is your husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, or child. Your world just imploded.
You are devastated; and that word falls flat when trying to convey the emotion coursing through your veins like blood. You stare blankly, scream, yell, cry, hit, punch, or politely slam the door in their face and curl up into a tiny ball just behind it to bawl the remainder of your heart out. Every dream you had with them has just died. The messenger knows this and stays silent even if you lash out at them. They usually leave you to your grief. No more words are needed.
Your heart compresses into a lump of coal; furious at the job, war, accident, drunk driver, sickness, or whatever that stole your loved one from you. Your heart constricts as your emotion rises into a whirling series of blades and swirls from inside your heart to rip apart everything inside you. Anger is a part of grief.
This just happened to someone you know. What to say?
There is nothing you can say. Not even the most eloquent speech from the best orator on the planet will breathe life back into the lost loved one. No one can say “I’m so sorry for you” with just the right tone to shoot back time and change the events that have happened.
We’ve all been there (most of us have been in this insane horrid sorrow of loss ourselves). We’ve also been the friend of someone who is still reeling from the shock of extreme loss – and if we are wise, the best we can do is say nothing. If our eyes meet the survivor we offer a smile of encouragement, a hug, or simply cry with them; just so they know we are here.
We’ve all heard someone at a funeral say what they intend as an encouragement but it actually stabs the survivor in the lungs, sucking out their air and life, tearing into their mind. Inwardly, the animal of attack is shredding that person – but the survivor usually realizes they meant well, it just didn’t come out that way. (“It was just her time,” “you could always have another,” “he lived a full life,” “at least she’s not hurting anymore,” or any other cliché soundbite.)
In our current techno world, grief doesn’t have a chance! Someone loses a precious loved one and instantly society wants heart-stopping news stories, social media posts with pics and vids on all outlets, and 24/7 access into the private life of the grieving family. Politicians want to be on stage with them.
NO! Just let them grieve!
Pray for them if you hear of their loss.
Deliver them a meal, send them a card or flowers, or be there at the funeral to show your support and empathy if you know them.
If you are family – protect them from this ruthless media assault.
Why must society know everything about everyone in such a callous way, so distant, so superficial? If a person really cared, they’d do something meaningful to help the family – and not go on TV to highlight their perfect generosity, excessive understanding, and absolute empathy. Their grief shouldn’t be our profit.
Please, let them mourn for the loved one they lost and the dreams, hopes, and life they had – and no, it will never “return to normal” (something will always remind us; a uniform, policecar, firetruck, work truck, cane, wheelchair, the ocean, the hospital, the outfit they last bought us, the ring on our finger, our children, our grandchildren – these will flood us with memories and emotion at times) but yes, life does continue. Hope allows life to continue and restores happiness, but first they must grieve.
In memory of all those we’ve lost…
~Nancy Tart