If the grieving person has said one hundred words to the listener's one, then the listener has helped. It is natural for a bereaved person to have feelings of guilt about the deceased, and these feelings require ventilation as much as feeling of sorrow. Even good friends stay away believing people in sorrow like to be alone. Not only is the bereaved feeling the loss of the loved one, but of friends as well. Friends, people who will listen non-judgmentally, are needed most when all of the sympathy letters have been read and acknowledged and when others have gone back to their daily routines.
Someone being there for the bereaved is proof of continued meaning and purpose in life.
Real Small things make a big difference in showing someone you care. Help Build a Bridge to the Future People in grief often withdraw. Encourage New Beginnings Grief will run its natural course. Avoiding the trap of self-pity sometimes can be accomplished by taking up a new activity or pursuing a new interest. Grief is resolved when the bereaved becomes self reliant and begins doing things for others.